Tom and Ginny-The Beginning
by Trixie Black Lestrange
Summary: Tom has been locked in the journal with his Dark cousin for 50 years. Will befriending the Weasley girl help him, or get him killed? Will Ginny be able to understand Tom and help him, or will the Dark one be able to eventually destroy both of them, returning to life?
1. Meeting Tom

**Tom and Ginny: The Beginning**

Ginevra Molly Weasley, known as Ginny to her friends and family, waved goodbye to four of her brothers as their school train left the station. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she laughed at her twin brothers' quip about about sending her a Hogwarts (their school) toilet seat. Ginny knew she'd be lonely for a long time sice she was the youngest child in her family and the only one still at home.

When they arrived at the Burrow (the Weasley home), Ginny's mum Molly turned to her only daughter and asked, "Are you going to be all right, Ginny? You know if you ever need to talk about anything—"

"Yes, Mum, I know," Ginny said quietly, before hurrying up the stairs to her room. Ginny knew her mother was only trying to help, but she wanted to deal with her issues on her own.

Truthfully, she wasn't sad, but rather in shock, for she had met the Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter) at the station! Well, she really hadn't met him, but had only seen him. He and her brother Ron were the same age, and would probably see each other a lot. Ginny was jealous.

But anyway, Ginny was extremely glad that she'd been born into a pureblood wizarding family—even if they did all have red hair and she was the youngest of seven children! _Next year, I will go to school_, Ginny promised herself, _and I will impress Harry. My brains are scrambled; I'm thinking about him still!_

* * *

Several nights later, Ginny decided to practice her flying like she'd always done since she was six. Four years Ginny had practiced without anyone knowing, and she intended to keep it that way.

Ginny smiled to herself, leaving her house and heading to the broom shed to select her broomstick to use for the night. Picking out one at random, she shut the broom shed door and headed out to the paddock.

Ginny was nearly to the paddock when she heard voices and stopped suddenly to listen. Two voices, she decided, were all that she could hear. One speaker was young, but rather high-class, and the other she could not differentiate.

"Ahhh," she heard the strange voice say, "Ssssomeone issss coming!"

Ginny heard a flurry of activity, and the young voice ordered, "Sssilence! I am aware, you know. Leave thisss inssstant before sshe ssseesss you."

A rustle of grass, and then there was silence. Ginny, who was quite annoyed to think that someone had been in her family's paddock (and that someone was still there), stormed into the paddock to give the trespassers a stern lecture in Molly Weasley's voice.

Not once did Ginny think about her safety, or wonder if she should get her father. She would get rid of the person by herself. Ginny stomped into the paddock and saw a cloaked figure standing there, his back to her. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

The person turned around regally, his hands at his sides. His expression was proud, but almost kind, and he seemed intrigued and pleased by the girl in front of him. He had an air of mystery about him that made Ginny a teeny bit curious about him.

"Who are you?" Ginny asked the boy curiously; she wasn't so annoyed with him anymore. Yes, he was quite young, she realized, not much older than her brother Percy (15), but younger (she supposed) than Charlie (almost 19).

The dark-haired boy took a step toward Ginny, but stopped in hidden surprise when she demanded, "Who were you talking to a moment ago?" She looked around herself, but saw no one else.

"I was not talking to anyone," articulated the boy particularly. "It must have been the wind whispering through the trees that confused you." He spoke with absolute confidence and Ginny, looking into his dark eyes, realized that he was not a person to be trifled with.

Ginny frowned a little, and replied, "I see. Then how do you explain that I heard yourvoice telling another to leave before I saw them? It was most certainly your voice: it was cold, formal, and aloof. Except that you seemed quite a bit more relaxed speaking to the other person! Now, who was it?"

Shock briefly flickered over his face, but he cleared his face immediately. He could not believe that the fiery-haired girl in front of him had understood his conversation with the serpant he'd found in the paddock!

Decisively, he whirled around, snapping his cloak around his ankles, and hissed, "Return and ssshow yourssself!"

A single serpant slithered out of the darkness and coiled in front of the boy, awaiting further instructions. The boy turned back to Ginny, an eyebrow raised and a slight smile on his lips. "Satisfied?" he asked, but it wasn't a question.

Ginny supposed that he'd expected her to be afraid of the serpant. She was, in fact, absolutely horrified at what she'd found out: impressed, yes, but worried about the consequences. "You-you're a Parselmouth!" she blurted out, and he nodded, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Ginny turned and began to run, but she wasn't quick enough.

The boy crossed the distance between them very quickly, and caught Ginny by the back of her robes. Ginny gasped in fright as she was roughly jerked to a stop. He took her by the arm and led her back to the serpant, who (if serpants can) looked amused.

Ginny yanked her arm away from the boy and stepped away from him, still facing him and the serpant. "Don't touch me!" she snapped at the boy.

"Then do not flee when I am endeavoring to show you something," he replied quietly. "And let me warn you, although some serpants despise those who flee from them, other enjoy hunting down their prey."

The serpant eyed Ginny and hissed, "Did I ssscare you?" Ginny could have sworn it was laughing at her. "Sssorry about that, young one."

Annoyed, Ginny stomped her foot and retorted, "Don't call me 'young one'! My name isss Ginny!"

The boy laughed, and the serpant looked shocked. "Ginny," said the snake finally, "do not run from ssserpantsss like me. You ssspeak our language; you understand usss: ussse your ability to your advantage."

Ginny sputtered in denial, and the boy laughed, then cleared his face once more. "Hush, Ginny," he said. "When you heard me telling him" the boy motioned to the snake, who looked annoyed "to leave before you came, you understood our speech. We were speaking Parseltongue; just now, you were speaking Parseltongue. You are a Parselmouth, Ginevra Molly Weasley."

She stared at him, wondering how he knew her full name. Then she sighed. "All right. Then could you please tell me who you are and why you're here?"

He drew his wand and headed toward the far side of the paddock, Ginny following his lead (the serpant left them). He set up a bench for them to sit on together, but Ginny was very reluctant to sit by him.

Looking at her, he motioned for her to sit beside him. She frowned a little, and looked scared, gasping, "You're-you're almost transparent! Are you a ghost?"

"Ginny, if I were a ghost, could I have restrained you like I did?" he asked her (he seemed to love asking questions that he already knew the answer to). "No. I am not a ghost. Sit down, and allow me to explain."

Ginny cautiously stepped up and sat down by the dark-haired boy. "All right," she said. "Go on."

He smiled slightly at her order and nodded. "My name is Riddle. Tom Riddle. I came to see and to speak with you."

Astonished, Ginny said, "To see me? And why would you want to speak to me? You're in a higher class than me, so to speak. You're more of a Malfoy level, if you know what I mean."

Tom nearly laughed, but didn't. "I understand. I'm cold and arrogant, and annoying. But I happen to be more intelligent than any of them!"

Laughing, Ginny nodded, but Riddle continued. "There are no 'classes' in between us, Ginevra. We are both Parselmouths, and that makes you and I superior to nearly everyone! Don't belittle yourself. Our ability is considered the mark of a Dark wizard/witch, but it can be used for good. And, Ginevra—don't flaunt your gift."

"Yes, Tom," said Ginny happily. _Superior to the Malfoys! Ha!_ she thought to herself.

Surprised that he'd been addressed by his first name, Tom smirked secretly to himself. She made his name sound absolutely perfect.

He was brought back to the present by Ginny asking, "So tell me, why are you nearly transparent?" She slowly reached over and touched her fingers to the sleeve of his robe. "How can I still feel this?" She fingered the material and looked up at him.

Tom smiled ruefully and was about to answer when Ginny squealed in shock and leaped off the bench. She'd just realized that her fingers were inches away from the Slytherin House crest on his robes!

_Slytherin!_ her mind screamed. _Danger! He's a Slytherin!_ "You're a Slytherin!" she cried, trying to be quiet. "You shouldn't be here! It won't go well with your housemates if you're seen with me! Honestly, Tom, you should know better!"

Tom sighed, but looked straight at Ginny. "Ginevra, I am very proud to be a Slytherin, and I am honored to be a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin." Ginny gaped, speechless. "—but I am not cruel and ruthless as you might suppose. I am not radically against Muggles as you're thinking right now, and I have no intention of hurting you. Now come back here, and let me explain to you why I'm sixteen and 'skipping' school."

Ginny slowly returned to her seat beside Tom, warily eyeing him. "All right," she whispered. "I'll try to be silent until you've finished explaining."

"Thank you. I graduated from Hogwarts nearly fifty years ago. " Tom smiled in amusement at Ginny's astonished expression. "Yes, I am sixteen still, however. In my sixth year at school, I tried to stop one of my housemates from exploring some extremely Dark magic, and was caught in what he was doing by accident. My whole self and part of him ended up trapped in a journal ever since that time. Look at your hands, Ginevra! That's what you get for touching something that's been in a book for a very long time."

The red-haired girl turned her palms up and stared at the ink stains. "And no one ever knew? Didn't your housemate ever tell anyone about the accident?"

Tom laughed derisively. "Voldemort? Tell someone he purposely trapped me, his own cousin, in a journal because I tried to stop him when he was toying with the Dark Arts? No," Tom spat out. "He never would. He always pretended he was I: destroying my reputation and making everyone believe _I_ was the worst person to ever live. Hiding me in a book completely locked me away for a long time. I am stuck there with a part of him until something happens. It's a constant war in here: me trying to keep him from driving me insane or taking control of me. Ha! He'll never, ever leave me alone. Never. He's always hated me."

Horror filled Ginny's eyes, and she stared at Tom with a mixture of horror and admiration. "Tom, don't say—what?! He's your _cousin_?"

Tom scowled darkly. "Yes, he is—and don't go spreading that around. That's not something I'm proud of. But, Ginevra, there is no reason to be afraid of a name! It only increases fear of the thing or person. Anyway, yes, both he and I are descended from Salazar Slytherin, but he is unworthy of that title!"

Ginny looked confused. "Why, Tom?" she asked.

A sneer settled on Tom's face. "His mother," he said venomously, "out-bred herself to a Muggle. He was a product of a love potion his mother used on some unsuspecting Muggle. Voldemort is a half-blood. He does not deserve to be called 'Slytherin's descendant.'" Tom stared off toward the Muggle world, trying to keep his temper controlled. "_I, _and I alone, am the last pureblooded descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Yes, dear Ginevra, isn't it ironic? The Voldemort everyone fears is a half-blood. I am the last of the Slytherin bloodline; I do not count Voldemort worthy to list beside myself."

Tom and Ginny sat there quietly for a while, just looking away from each other, and thinking carefully. Ginny was horrified, shocked, thrilled, and amazed at what she'd just learned about the Dark Lord her parents had always taught her was to be feared. _Undoubtedly_, Ginny thought, _if my mum and dad don't know about this then no one does. This is unbelievable!_

Noticing that Tom seemed somewhat sad, Ginny shyly reached over and slipped her hand into his. He looked at her sharply, and she told him quietly, "I'm sorry, Tom. So everyone forgot you existed because he was pretending to be you?" Tom nodded solemnly. "That's terrible. I mean, if you were enrolled in Hogwarts, and he was too, then somebody should have known you disappeared when you were sixteen. Wait: you said you graduated. You did, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I was able to keep everyone from noticing what had happened to me: I attended classes and finished my schooling, but it was hard to keep everyone from noticing that I am nearly transparent," Tom said sarcastically. "So, I really didn't disappear until I graduated. Then I returned to the journal and hid. But it's boring to be in a book all day: I really can't see anything, and the part of my cousin that's in there only annoys me. We fight and argue inside the journal, but only I can take a corporeal form and come out."

Ginny smiled slightly. "He's more stuck than you are," she said, quite pleased.

Tom nodded. "—unless he decides to take over my body (which he can do, you know) and controls what I do out here. That's why we fight so much. He tries to make me break down and give in, but I resist with everything I have! I can't let him have me, Ginny; I just can't."

"Tom, you're extremely dangerous!" gasped Ginny, "being that close to being in his power!"

The boy sighed deeply and his face returned to its blank expression. "Yes, Ginevra," he said, "I can be caught in a fight with him at any moment, and if I'm not on my guard, it is possible for me to lose control of myself to him. It's a terrible feeling, really, and it's only happened twice." _That you can remember_, taunted a voice in Tom's head.

A feeling of panic rose up in Tom, but he pushed it away and blocked his cousin out. His face drawn and pale, Tom looked at Ginny, wondering what she'd think of him now.

"Oh," she whispered, "oh, Tom, I can't believe that I'm sitting here so close to someone who is: a Parselmouth, a descendant of Slytherin, a cousin of the Dark Lord, and always a second away from losing control of himself to You-know-who!"

"That's me," said Tom without amusement. "—and I have even more secrets to tell you about—and to show you when you're at school!"

Ginny smiled. "What other secrets? You have so many! What secrets can you possibly have at Hogwarts?"

Tom laughed dryly. "You'd be surprised. Some of the world's worst secrets are at Hogwarts." When Ginny seemed to doubt his words, he asked, "Ginevra, do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Blushing a little (Ginny loved to hear Tom call her Ginevra: it made her feel quite mature), Ginny answered, "Well, Charlie—he's my second oldest brother—he told me that it's supposed to be an underground room, housing a nasty creature of some sort. Um, he said that Salazar Slytherin made it because of a disagreement with the three other Founders.

"Charlie said that, well, Slytherin kind of had a tantrum and created the Chamber before fleeing the school. Supposedly, the Chamber will be re-opened (it was supposedly opened once before) by Slytherin's Heir. Many people say that the Chamber is a legend because many wizards have searched Hogwarts for it, and it has never been found."

Ginny drew a deep breath and peered at Tom, who seemed satisfied by her answer. "Tom, what do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?" she asked him tentatively, sensing he knew something more.

Tom looked at the girl carefully, calculating how much he could trust her: after all, she was a Weasley, and they were all Gryffindors. He decided to begin with a simple statement and see how she reacted.

"The Chamber is real, Ginevra," Tom said quietly. He was pleased that her eyes widened, and then she nodded with a slight smile. "—and I am the Heir of Slytherin." He felt her hand jerk, but he tightened his grip on it in case she took it upon herself to run away again.

"So you were the one who opened the Chamber before?" Ginny gasped, nearly in tears. "You released the creature, caused all the attacks, and killed Myrtle? Tom, tell me I didn't just hear you say that you're the Heir of Slytherin!"

_She took it quite badly, don't you think, cousin?_ said the voice again. Tom's mind was still reeling from the accusation so he was rather unguarded. He realized what was happening and gasped, "No!" out loud. Tom closed his eyes, fighting his cousin yet again.

He released Ginny's hand unknowingly and she pulled it away from him, staring at his pale, strained face. She realized what was happening and felt terrified. She put her arm around him carefully, not knowing what else to do. As she watched Tom's expression change from blank to strain to pain, she realized that the Dark Lord had most likely used his cousin to open the Chamber. Ginny felt horribly guilty for putting Tom in such a vulnerable position. She saw that her words had hurt him, even though he hid his feelings well.

_Let me in! Let me in!_ the voice demanded of Tom's mind.

Tom's face twisted in pain. _No! I won't let you hurt Ginevra! You can't have her!_

_My foolish cousin,_ sighed the voice, sarcastically sympathetic, _you know I always get what I want. She doesn't trust you, O mighty Heir of Slytherin! Just let me in; I'll take care of her for you!_

_Why would you care about helping me?_ Tom thought spitefully. _She believes in me; I know she want nothing except for that which will help you. I won't let you have her!_

Frustrated, the voice was quiet for an instant, still fighting, but then said to Tom, _You are disillusioned, Riddle. She does not trust you—and, since you haven't noticed, she has drawn away from you because you disgust her._

_No!_ gasped Tom's mind, desperately trying to stay alert. _I don't believe—oh, Ginny—!_ Tom's awareness receded as he slowly gave up, his face assuming a blank expression. He felt Ginny put her arm around him, and began to worry about her safety.

Just as he was giving in, he heard the red-haired girl whisper into his ear, "I understand, Tom. I'm sorry; it's not your fault: it's all his doing. I believe you, Tom; stay with me."

When Tom heard that, he forced his cousin away with a new will and opened his eyes to see Ginny watching him fearfully. Her face was pale, and her eyes were unusually bright. "Tom?" she whispered, "Are you in there?"

He laughed, a real genuine laugh. "Yes, Ginevra. I'm here. Thank you for helping me defeat him."

"Oh, Tom!" gasped Ginny, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. "I'm so glad! I was afraid that I'd caused—oh, I'm so glad you're all right!"

Tom was surprised that Ginny had been so worried, and felt rather awkward that she was hugging him! He gently pried her away from himself and set her back down on the bench. She looked a bit upset at first, and then blushed. "I'm sorry," she said, realizing that he wasn't used to showing any emotion, looking vulnerable, or having anyone care for him.

He smiled slightly and told her, "It's all right, but—you have ink all over you now." She looked down at her robes and Tom laughed, drawing his wand and cleaning the ink off her robes. "There you go," he told her.

She smiled at the boy. "Thank you," she said. "I forgot about that—and I don't care about it, either."

Tom nodded, returning to his blank expression. "Well, Ginevra, if you're going to practice your flying, then you should. I should be going."

"Wait, Tom," she started quickly, "do you want to watch me?"

He thought about it, then decided it was all right. "For a little bit, and then I must go," he said. "It's going to be quite late, and you should really be getting to bed."

Ginny laughed, then reached for her broomstick.


	2. The First Time

Tom and Ginny met nearly every morning during the year, and they became very close, knowing each other's problems and how to help. She constantly helped Tom fight off his cousin, who was extremely active. Tom didn't tell Ginny that his cousin wasn't usually as active as he was just then; he didn't want Ginny to worry about him. Ginny became very close to Tom, and learned how to read him even when his face was expressionless.

Tom also taught her how to read minds and how to influence thoughts. He and Ginny were soon able to communicate through their minds, something they called the Channel (C). He taught Ginny to apparate, and told her the theory behind some of the spells she would be learning at her school.

One night in the paddock, Tom turned to his friend. "When you go to school, Ginevra, would you like me to show you the Chamber of Secrets?" Tom asked her carefully.

Her eyes lit up in excitement. "Would you? Oh, yes, Tom!" she gasped. Then her face fell. "But what about the creature?"

Tom put his arm around Ginny reassuringly. "It's a giant serpant, Ginny," he told her with boyish eagerness, "a basilisk. He only obeys me, but if I tell him to mind you, he will. He really is nice, even though he's dangerous to others."

"All right," said Ginny, "but won't he kill us if we look into his eyes?"

"No," Tom replied. "We are natural Parselmouths, meaning we received the ability through our bloodline, and basilisks can't kill us with their looks, or with their venom. It's very nice, actually."

Ginny smiled at him. "That's a relief," she said, "and I'd love to meet him. What's his name, Tom?"

Tom smiled, thinking of his basilisk. "His name is Benjy."

* * *

The year went by very quickly, and soon, Ginny's brothers arrived home from their school, talking non-stop about what had happened and who the most annoying person at school had been that year (Fred and George said it was either Percy or Snape). Ginny, whom Tom had taught well, listened quietly to her brothers for any important information about the school.

Tom had explained much about the school to Ginny, but he had also told her that his memories of it were probably out-dated and that Hogwarts had changed since his time. She realized that he was correct, and allowed Tom into her mind so he could listen in on her brothers' conversations.

Fred and George excitedly discussed their new joke items, and Percy frowned, telling them that they should "seek to further their education instead of wasting their time with things that would not profit them in the future."

Ginny could feel Tom laughing inside her head, and asked him to try to quiet down. _Sorry, Ginevra,_ he said, _but this brother of yours has his priorities disordered! Honestly, education can only take you so far: believe me, no education prepared me to be stuck at sixteen-years-old for ages! It seems that the twins are applying what they have learned to create joke items and potions. Say, stand up for them, won't you? Say something to Old-Stuck-Up._

Ginny snorted in laughter, and her brothers stared at her. "Fred and George take what they have learned and apply it practically so that they can profit from it. It's quite simple to understand, really," she told her older brother Percy. "You don't like that just because you've been the victim of their experiments so many times. Who else did they give a nose so long that our owl perched on it?"

Percy stared at his little sister, then sputtered, trying to keep his dignity, "You wouldn't understand this: you're too young. I don't believe you would like a nose like a tree branch."

"Yeah, but, Perce, she could stick it in your business a lot easier," Fred said cheerfully.

George nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And Ginny does understand—she understands a lot better than you ever have."

Ginny smiled to herself, and Tom told her, _Perfect, Ginny. Well done!_

* * *

One morning, Ginny awoke to hear the Weasley family car running outside the house, and quickly got up to look out the window. She saw Fred, George, and Ron leaving the Burrow, and wondered what they were up to. _Mrs. Weasley's not going to be happy, _Tom sang happily in Ginny's mind. _I think I know what they're up to!_

Ginny was surprised. _Do you? What are they doing, then, Tom?_

_Well, Ginevra, if the great Harry Potter won't condescend to answer their letters, then they'll just go speak to him face-to-face,_ Tom told Ginny. _I wonder what his aunt and uncle will think about that..._

Frowning, Ginny thought at Tom, _Don't be so rude. Harry is nice, and not at all stuck-up. I don't know why he's not answering his friends' letters: perhaps he's not getting them._

Tom snorted. _Yes, and your owl keeps getting lost, or keeps losing the letters. That's probable—I mean, he is old. But the girl, Granger—her owl isn't old, and should be just fine to carry letters. How can Potter not get any of them? I still think it's more probable that he's ignoring them._

Ginny sighed, then realized something. _Uh, Tom? Harry lives in the Muggle world. So...how will my brothers speak with Harry without alerting the Muggles to them?_

She could feel Tom's annoyance: she knew he had mixed feelings toward Muggles. He finally stated, _Your brothers will be fine: after all, they're going to see the one person that has ever escaped my cousin's Killing Curse. And what are a few Muggles to deal with if you've defeated Voldemort? And since your father happens to think Muggles are quite interesting, he's probably told your brothers enough so that they'll be perfectly fine._

_Right,_ said Ginny, and began laughing. _Oh, bother, where did I put my jumper?_

* * *

Ginny hurried downstairs to ask her mother where her jumper was, but Ginny was shocked to find Harry Potter himself sitting at the kitchen table! "Hello," he said to her.

Ginny threw her head up like a spooking horse and stared at him for an instant, her eyes wide. She felt Tom's shock as he wondered what on earth the other dark-haired boy was doing in the Burrow. She whirled around and ran from the room, back up to her room. _Tom, oh, Tom!_ she gasped. _Harry's—!_

_I know,_ said Tom, a bit irritated. _I was there, Ms. Ginevra. So, let's go out there, and see if we can find out why Potter is here._

Ginny stepped to her door and opened it. She stopped in shock when she she saw her brother and Harry standing outside her door. She stared into Harry's eyes, disconcerted. _My goodness, hasn't he got such interesting green eyes, Ginevra!_ Tom mused to himself.

"Oh!" gasped Ginny, shocked yet again. She slammed the door, and Tom burst out laughing in her head.

She heard her brother say, "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy, she never shuts up normally!" Blushing, Ginny turned away from her door and walked to the window.

_Tom, stop laughing!_ Ginny pleaded with him, trying to calm her emotions. Tom endeavored to stop laughing, and succeeded after a few minutes. Ginny was nearly in tears, and Tom felt bad that he'd laughed at her when he'd known she was confused. _I'm sorry, Ginny,_ he told her. _I didn't mean to act so uncaring._

Ginny shut Tom out of her mind, tears running down her cheeks. She sat down on her bed, wrapping her arms around herself and trying to gather her thoughts. She'd felt quite strange inside when she'd seen Harry at the table, and again when she'd seen him outside her room. She didn't know why she felt the way she did, but she was trying to figure it out when a hand was placed on her arm.

She gasped in suprise, and turned to see Tom standing there "Don't shut me out, Ginevra," he told her. "I said I was sorry." She turned her back to him, not ready to forgive him yet. Still crying, she recrossed her arms and ignored him.

Tom seized Ginny by the arm and slammed her against the wall. She looked up at him, worried. "Tom?" she whispered. She realized that she was not dealing with her Tom. _Oh no!_ she thought. _I'm facing Tom's cousin!_

"No, Ginevra, it is I," Tom said to her, "and I am not happy with you. I appologized, and you still refused to accept it. I can't help sometimes teasing too much: evey boy teases like that. Don't run from me when I can help you."

He led her over to the bed and made her sit down beside him. Tom put his arms around her, holding her until he felt her relax. "I'm sorry, Tom," she whispered. "Thank you." He nodded and had her lie down against his chest.

Tom ran his long fingers through Ginny's hair. She sighed, and he smiled to himself. "Fire-headed Ginny," he said, and she laughed, but then stopped.

"Tom," she said to him, "you're cold! Your hands are cold and you feel like you're radiating ice!"

He looked startled, then removed his hands from Ginny's back, where he'd been playing with her hair. "Sorry," he said. "I don't feel it, so I didn't know." Tom half-smiled apologetically at Ginny, then continued what he'd been doing.

"How can you not feel it, Tom?" Ginny asked him. "I would think you'd be so cold you couldn't move!"

The dark-haired boy shrugged, then told Ginny, "It's just normal for me, Ginny." He smiled a little, then asked her, "Would you like to learn how to follow your brothers without being seen?"

Ginny nodded excitedly. "Oh, yes, Tom! I want to see what the twins are doing so that I'm not caught by their jokes again. I don't like them to make my ears whistle and my nose smoke!" Ginny sat up and nearly smacked Tom in the face with her head. "Sorry, there, Tom. Oh, and I also want to know what Percy is up to, locked in his room for half the summer already. It's probably something boring, like summer homework or something, but still, if he's hiding it, then I should know about it."

Ginny heard laughter inside her head, and Tom's form slowly disappeared. _Sorry about that,_ he said. _But if I'm to help you, then I have to be here instead of in my form where anyone can see me. Anyway, if your brother is hiding something and you find it out, then you can threaten to tell Fred and George if he annoys you!_

_True,_ Ginny thought, _but, Tom, when we've talked before through the Channel like this, it was never so hard for me to gather my thoughts. And I feel almost like I'm floating, or not here._

Tom sighed, and Ginny felt his presence in her mind recede until she could think clearly. _Sorry,_ he said, _sometimes talking like this too much makes it hard to think—especially when you're not used to it._

Ginny decided that was also true, and was going to say something when a gentle prodding in the back of her mind told her to leave the room. Ginny obeyed it without a question, and headed to Fred and George's room, where she knew they were at the time. She knocked on the door, and began to speak. To her shock, her voice was not the one that she used: she was using her mother's voice!

Ginny felt strange; she knew what was happening, but she couldn't even control the voice she was using! She couldn't control her body either: it moved quickly down the stairs by itself, stepping back into her room, and closing her door most of the way.

When Fred and George stormed by, muttering about wasting time, Ginny smiled to herself, and quickly left her room, hurrying up to the twins' room. Ginny looked around the twins' quickly, finding a couple items she'd never seen before. Picking up one of the boys' school books, she opened it, and found writing in the margins, explaining ideas he'd had in his classes. Ginny realized that there was nothing too dangerous in what they were doing, but she took a couple of the pieces she'd found, hoping they wouldn't be missed.

Ginny still couldn't make herself do anything, and she realized that something was wrong, so her mind asked quietly, _Tom, what's going on?_

_Oh, Ginevra,_ he said, _I was helping you search through your brothers' room. And there's nothing here to worry about. Yes, I did make you do that version of your mother's voice. It was good, wasn't it?_

Ginny felt terrified, but her face was a mask. Suddenly, Tom relenquished his control of her, and Ginny fled out of her brothers' room, back to hers. She was in a panic, throwing herself onto her bed and crying, _Tom, please—please don't do that again! Oh, Tom, I'm so afraid!_

A sigh came to her ears, and Ginny rolled over on her bed to see Tom leaning against the wall, watching her closely. _Ginny,_ he said, _when my cousin takes me over, it's a lot worse than that, believe me._

Even as she sobbed into her pillow, Ginny felt sorry for Tom, now understanding some of what he felt. She looked over at him again, feeling like he'd taken advantage of her. He seemed to know what she was thinking, and said, "I'm sorry, Ginny. Next time, I'll warn you."

Frowning, she replied, "You'd better ask permission, even if there is a next time." Ginny was unhappy with how Tom had treated her. He nodded, then told her goodbye and left without waiting for a reply.


	3. Refusal and Torture

That night as she was preparing for bed, she gulped as she thought about what Tom had done to her. Ginny carefully snuggled under her covers and curled up, trying to get warm. She was so tired, and she'd barely done anything the whole day.

_Ginny?_ asked Tom's voice in her head uncertainly. Unnerved already, he was unprepared for Ginny's response.

_NO!_ cried Ginny in fear. _Get out! Get out, get out, get out! Don't make me; oh, Tom, don't!_ She felt his hurt, but was relieved when she felt him leave her mind. Her tears ran down her cheeks, and she tried to stop them, but she couldn't. She was so upset with what had happened and she was so tired that she couldn't stop her tears.

She saw Tom materialize in her room in a swirl of white mist, and cowered away from him in fear. "Tom," she whispered, "oh, Tom, don't make me do that anymore. Please." She noticed a confused sort of panic on his face, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tom came over to the bed and sat down by her, his face strained and pale. "Ginny. I can't remember where I've been or what I've done today. I can't remember if I was here with you or not. Oh, Ginny, was I here? Did I hurt you?"

Ginny stared at him. "Can't remember?" she gasped. "Yes, you were here. You took control of me, Tom, and you made me trick my brothers into leaving their room so you could search it! You didn't hurt me, but you terrified me! I couldn't stop myself from doing anything! And you made me do it!"

"I'm sorry," Tom whispered, knowing what had happened. "Ginny, when I don't know anything about where I've been, it means that my cousin has been controlling me. I'm so sorry."

Terror flooded through Ginny. "I was—controlled by—oh, Tom!" Ginny sprang up from her bed and clung to Tom in terror. She cried as he held her tightly to himself. Ginny felt ashamed of herself, knowing that she was now a terrible danger to everyone around her.

"Ginny," murmured Tom gently, "you're not alone in this: I know how it feels, and I can teach you to fight it. And whatever he does when he's inside your head and body, itisnot your fault. I'm sorry that I've put you in such a dangerous situation: I should not have come out of the journal and showed myself to anyone."

"Tom," Ginny wept, clinging to him, "can you teach me tomorrow?" Tom nodded very seriously. "It's going to be all right. I would miss you terribly if you left now. Can you stay here with me?" she asked.

With a deep sigh, he agreed to stay with her. She lay down again, curling up under the covers, and Tom lay down beside her, quietly holding her in his arms as she calmed down and fell asleep. He felt awful for letting his cousin hurt her so much, but he was practically helpless except to fight his cousin and to teach Ginny how to block him when she needed to.

Tom did not need to sleep, but he lay there, listening to his little friend's breathing: he did not want her to be hurt. He would do whatever he had to do to protect her.

* * *

_I hate you,_ Tom told his cousin in the journal. _How could you do that to Ginevra when I wanted to gain her trust?_

His cousin scoffed, _You know, Riddle, that I do not care what you are trying to do. I will do with the girl as I see fit._

Tom scowled and asked, _What do you want from her?_

_What do you want from her, Riddle?_ Voldemort turned the question around. _What is your plan for her? And why did you go to her anyway?_

_You've been in my mind, Voldemort,_ snapped Tom. _You should know._

Tom's cousin sneered, _Of course, dear cousin. You were curious about her because you thought she was special._

_She is special!_ Tom half shouted at Voldemort. _Ginevra Weasley is more like me than you are! She's a Par—!_ Tom stopped, and no matter how his cousin taunted him, he never replied.

* * *

Ginny woke in the morning to find Tom gone. She sighed, a feeling of dread coming over her as she remembered what had happened to her and Tom. _He's going to teach me to block his cousin,_ Ginny thought, trying to reassure herself. _He won't be able to hurt me much once Tom helps me defeat him._

Ginny happily got up, and dressed, reflecting on what had happened in the past year. She'd met Tom, and he had taught her many things that he'd said she would need to know in order to survive and excell in her world.

Just as she had pulled her robe over her head, she felt a presence in the room and whirled around. She shrieked in surprise, but Tom clapped his hand over her mouth just in time. "Tom, what do you think you're doing?" she hissed at him, accidentally slipping into Parseltongue. "I'm trying to get dressed!"

Tom shrugged, and Ginny blushed furiously. "Sorry," he said calmly, then tugged Ginny's robe down into place, straightening it over her shoulders so it hung correctly. He helped her fasten her robes, and she watched as he concentrated on it.

_Dear Tom,_ Ginny thought happily. _He's such a perfectionist!_ "Tom, please ask me before you come into my room in the mornings!"

He was about to say something about how he wasn't even a real person, when he decided against it (he thought of himself as a real person, and he didn't want Ginny to become uneasy around him). "All right, Ginny," he told her. "I will remember."

She gave him a smile and put her arms around his waist, hugging him. Tom, feeling quite awkward, did not respond much except to put a hand on her back, then take her by the arms and hold her away from him.

Ginny frowned up at Tom, who was much taller than she was. "Tom, have you ever been hugged in your whole life?" she asked him carefully.

Tom dropped Ginny's hands and looked away from her. He told her, "I don't remember my childhood very clearly, but I know my mother hugged me. You're probably the second person to ever hug me."

"Did you ever have any girlfriends, Tom?" she questioned curiously. "You're so tall and so good-looking..."

The dark-haired boy frowned slightly at her words, then smiled ironically. "When I was at school, I was so busy trying to keep my cousin from hurting and killing others that I had no time for anything or anyone else, Ginevra. It's not as if they wouldn't have flocked to me if I'd shown myself open: many of the girls were enamored of me."

Ginny giggled a little, then became solemn. "So, you've only been hugged by two people in your whole life," she mused. "You should be hugged more."

He laughed in surprise at her assessment of his situation. "Dear Ginny," he said with a smile, "it doesn't matter. I survived."

She sighed, then pulled her arms out of his grip. With a giggle, she put her arms around Tom again and squeezed him tightly before looking up at him teasingly. A rather pleased, frustrated look on his face, he sighed and put his arms around her gently, as if he was afraid he would hurt her. "You," he said, "are not going to stop pursuing this, are you?"

Ginny smiled up at him and answered, "Nope! You needs hugs, Tom. They're good for friends." A strange look flickered over Tom's face, and Ginny asked him, "What is it, Tom?"

He stared down at her for an instant before replying, "I've never had a true, loyal friend before. I'm honored, Ginevra."

Her eyes wide, she gazed up at him in amazement. "Never? Oh, Tom, I'll always be your friend," she stated, stepping back from him as he reluctantly withdrew his arms from her.

"Thank you," he said quietly, before straightening the collar of her robes again. She smiled and turned to her mirror, which told her that she needed to comb her hair before leaving her room or she'd frighten the family ghoul.

Tom laughed quietly, and Ginny turned to him in slight annoyance. "Please don't laugh," she pleaded. "I haven't got a hairbrush in my room and I'm afraid the mirror's right about my hair...I can never get it to co-operate with me."

He nodded in understanding and instantaneously conjured an elegant green-and-silver hairbrush which he handed to Ginny. "There you go," he told her with a smile. "And if you're not satisfied with the colors I can change them. Green and silver are automatic for me, so I can't help making things that color unless I really concentrate on other colors."

Ginny smiled understandingly and turned back to the mirror, working the brush through her long red hair. Tom thoroughly enjoyed watching his little friend until she sighed in frustration, unable to get her hair up the way she wanted.

"Tom, do you think you could help me?" she asked him sheepishly. He smiled and deftly took the brush from her before running his long, slender fingers through her hair.

"It is brushed out," he said, "but it needs to be done particularly. Not one hair out of place."

Ginny smiled at Tom's perfectionism again. "Does it have to be so perfect?" she sighed, tilting her head back to shake her hair behind her shoulders.

He shook his head. "No, but I want you to look perfectly beautiful," he told her. "Don't you want to impress Potter?"

A blush stole over the red-haired girl's face and she protested, "Tom, I don't think he cares about how my hair looks!"

"Ah," said Tom with a laugh, "she watches his reactions!" Ginny sighed, and made her lower lip tremble on purpose. "Oh, Ginny, don't cry," he asked her nervously. "I was only teasing! There, there..." He gently finished her hair and made the brush disappear before turning her to himself.

Realizing that she'd just been pretending, he looked impressed. "Well done performance, Ginny," he told her proudly. "Just make sure not to appear so touchy in front of anyone else. Okay?"

Ginny smiled happily up at him and nodded. "Thank you!" she said.

Tom grinned at her, and as she began to head for the door of her room to go get breakfast, he asked, "Aren't you going to hug me goodbye, dear Ginevra?"

Pleased by his response to her calling him a friend, she hurried back over to him. Just as she came up to him, he knelt down in front of her and hugged her to himself gently. She put her cheek against his and slipped her arms around his neck, smiling happily as he hugged her around the waist.

Ginny felt that her and Tom's relationship was rather like that of a friend/friend, father/daughter, and brother/sister relationship all in one. She loved receiving Tom's "big brother hug" as she called it. He was amazing, she thought, and squeezed him tightly before he released her. Ginny skipped out of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

Later that day, Ginny was angry with her brothers, almost to the point of tears. She went to her room, looking calm on the outside, but inwardly storming about all the things that she would do to them. She stared out her window and watched Fred, George, Ron, and Harry head out to the paddock to practice their Quidditch. Ginny was upset about being left out after she'd been the one to suggest the practice.

Tom asked, _Ginny, may I come to your room?_ She gave him permission and he materialized behind her in his swirl of white mist. He had been hovering in the back of her mind the whole day, keeping a watch over her, and helping her find words to say when she was flustered. He knew what she was feeling.

"Ginny," he said softly to her, coming up behind her and watching out the window with her, "you must not be too angry with Fred and George's teasing. I know that they should have more sense than to tease you about Potter in front of the boy himself, but that's the way your brothers are."

"I think I know how my brothers are," Ginny snapped. "I've only lived with them for eleven years! And I'm so—oh, I don't understand myself!"

Tom stiffly stood without looking at her as he replied. "I think that it's very simple," he told her. "You like Harry Potter. You have a crush on him. To have your brothers tease you about him in front of him hurt, I think. You can barely speak when he's around, and—Salazar, Ginny!—who else puts her elbow in the butter dish when Potter speaks to her?"

Ginny blushed and giggled a tiny bit, making Tom swallow an annoyed sigh. She looked up at him and tittered, "Oh, I'm so lucky to have Harry here, Tom! Of everyone in our world, he became friends with Ron! Maybe he'll like me...oh, it's so exciting!" Ginny clasped her hands together, then pressed them over her heart. "Oh, Harry's so brave to have defeated the Dark Lord when he was just a baby, and now Harry's defeated him last year at school when he tried to steal that Stone! No one knows how Harry survived the Dark Lord, Tom. Harry's amazing!"

Swirling emotions threatened to make Tom dizzy, and he stepped away from the window, leaving Ginny there, and leaned against the wall. Anger prevailed out of all his emotions (to cover up the feelings he was hiding), and Tom whirled on Ginny. "Harry Potter's defeat of my cousin was an accident, and not a purposeful action, Ginevra," Tom hissed furiously. "Quit tittering about Potter. He's nothing special."

Ginny was hurt, but Tom continued, "Furthermore, he's not good enough for you. You shouldn't be wasted on a half-blood like him."

At Tom's words, Ginny became very angry, and hissed back, "I knew I should not have trusted you, Tom Riddle! I should have known that you would be a pureblood extremist! But I expected better of you: I thought you'd be at least grudgingly thankful that Harry kept Voldemort from doing more damage than he did!"

"Ginny, I only meant—" began Tom, knowing that he'd made a grave error in the emotion of the moment, but she cut him off, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Get out of my room!" she wept angrily. "I don't want to see you anymore! Leave me alone! I won't be poisoned by your stupid prejudices!" Ginny sobbed heartbrokenly and turned back to the window, trying to keep quiet so her mother wouldn't be alerted.

Tom felt his cousin begin to fight for control of Tom's body, but Tom fought back, struggling to concentrate on the fiery-haired girl. "Ginny," he said, his voice low, "I'm sor—"

"I don't want to hear it!" she shrieked at him, her voice muffled by her hands over her mouth. "Get away from me! I don't want to even speak to you! You're just as wicked as your cousin, and I hate you!"

He stared at her, his mind and body going completely numb. _What have I done?_ he thought in horror. Tom was in agony over Ginny's rejection, and a sharp pain in his head made him realize that his cousin had just entered his mind. _She's the only one who has ever cared about me,_ Tom thought, ignoring his cousin, who was just hovering in the back of his mind (Voldemort was enjoying his cousin's anguish). _Ginny hates me. I've ruined what I had with her—the only friend I'll ever have. Dear Ginevra,_ Tom's mind gasped desperately, _she hates me. She believes I'm evil! No, Ginny, no!_

Voldemort pushed Tom's mind away, but did not take over his body completely. Tom was still aware, and knew what was happening, but could not control it. Voldemort made Tom step toward Ginny, who was sobbing into her hands, rocking back and forth. Voldemort drew his cousin's wand and used it to cast Silencing Charms around the room. He was just in time, for Ginny turned around and screamed at him to go away.

Tom felt worse than he ever had in his life, and if he had been in control of his body, he might have shed a tear. Voldemort thoroughly enjoyed Tom's pain, and just stood there, listening to Tom try to figure out something to bring Ginny back to himself.

Voldemort quickly tired of that amusement, and taunted his cousin, _What should I tell her? She seems to hate you quite well, Riddle. Perhaps I should speak to her about this stubborness of hers._

_Don't hurt her,_ Tom's mind pleaded with his cousin. _Please!_

Tom's cousin was delighted that Tom would practically beg for Ginny's safety, and found that quite interesting. _But, Riddle, she deserves to hurt, doesn't she? I will punish her for her stupidity._

_NO!_ cried Tom's mind, but Voldemort was already making Tom stride over to Ginny, fury written all over his face.

He grabbed Ginny by the back of her robes, spun her around, and slammed her forcefully against the wall. She cried out in pain and fear as she leaned against the wall and stared up into his dark, dark eyes. "Tom," she sobbed, her heart aching in sorrow, "I trusted you."

Again, Tom was in agony over Ginny's reaction to his mistake. However, Voldemort did not change Tom's cold, uncaring expression. "You should not have trusted me, Ginevra," he said coldly. "I am pleased that I was able to make you believe everything I told you about my 'cousin.' I do not have a cousin, Ginevra. Lord Voldemort and I are one and the same."

Terror flooded over Ginny and she whimpered. A smiled twisted Tom's lips and feelings of betrayal shot through Ginny. "Yes, it is true. You have 'befriended' your family's worst enemy, Ginevra. Shame, shame, shame," he mocked her. "And you've hugged me, and confided in me. You silly little girl. You've put everyone around you in danger, and who's to stop me from making you destroy Potter for me?"

"I won't!" screamed Ginny, sobbing in disbelief. "I won't hurt Harry! I—I think I —"

Voldemort raised Tom's hand and slapped Ginny's face harshly. She cried out in pain, putting her hands to her face. "You will do whatever I say, Ginevra," he hissed at her. "You will obey me without question."

Tom's mind receded more, flickering on the edge of blackness. Tom was in agony over what his cousin was making him say and do to Ginny. He was proud of her for refusing to hurt Harry, but he ached when she nearly said that she thought she loved Harry. He was hoping for Ginny to be strong, willing her not to give up.

Ginny sobbed harder, absolutely terrified, but she gasped, "No, no!"

Angry at her refusal to obey him, Voldemort forced Tom to draw his wand and place it at Ginny's throat. Ginny's face turned pale, knowing what he could do to her at any moment. "Think very carefully," he said with a slight smirk, "do you love your family, Ginevra? I could very easily make you destroy them as well."

Ginny sagged against the wall, staring at the end of Tom's wand hopelessly. "I can't betray them," she sobbed finally. "I'll die first."

Voldemort made Tom sigh and say, "You are such a foolish girl. It must be the Gryffindor that seems to run in your family. I'll give you one more chance, Ginevra. Obey me."

Her whole body shaking as she thought about the dark-haired boy killing her, Ginny managed to gasp between heart wrenching sobs, "I—won't."

His eyes narrowed, and Ginny closed her eyes, trying to shut out the image of his angry face. _I thought Tom truly cared,_ Ginny sobbed in her mind, _but he lied to me about everything! Everything! Nothing he said was the least bit true, nothing. Oh, Tom, I really cared about you! I wanted to be your friend so much, but you're not who I thought you were!_

Tom understood every word Ginny thought to him, as Voldemort made him step back and point his wand at Ginny's chest. _She cares! She really does!_ thought Tom. _Ginny still cares!_ He did not dare to think a single thought to her, however, but kept his thoughts out of her mind. _I'm going to kill her,_ Tom thought in dread. _I can't stop myself!_

Ginny, still weeping with her eyes closed, suddenly heard the boy shout, _"_**Crucio**_!"_ and opened her eyes to see a red light streak toward her. Suddenly, Ginny found herself on the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. White-hot pain streaked through her, making her curl up into a fetal position as she screamed louder than she ever had before in her whole life.

Voldemort had his reasons for not killing the girl: he knew that she'd be good to have on his side, if only she would obey him. He intensified the Cruciatus Curse, and watched expressionlessly as Ginny screamed and sobbed, twisting and writhing in agony on the floor.

Tom stared down his arm at his wand, which was holding the red streak on Ginny, torturing her. He had had quite enough of his cousin, but he couldn't do anything. Tom had to bide his time and wait for an opportunity to help Ginny. He couldn't help her if he knew nothing but blackness, which he knew would come if he angered his cousin by interfering.

Voldemort let up the curse, and Ginny sobbed, curled up and unmoving. The white-hot streaks of pain still shot through her, but gradually, they lessened until she lay weeping on the floor. He (through Tom) stared down at her coldly. "Do you understand what I can do to you and your family, Ginevra? You must obey me."

Ginny's tears streamed down her face, and she wished her mother would come save her. "No," she said, and began to sob again.

Tom watched in horror as he raised his wand again and resumed torturing his little friend. He felt horribly guilty as Ginny screamed in agony, her heartbroken sobs of pain driving swords through his heart. _Not again!_ Tom pleaded frantically with his cousin. _Not Ginny! Please stop torturing her! Not Ginny—she's my friend! I care for her—I don't want to hurt her! I don't want revenge! I need her!_

Voldemort was annoyed with his cousin's pleas and told him to stop snivelling. Tom's mind sank back into the recesses of his being again, and Tom hurt: every single second that Ginny hurt, Tom was in agony of mind as well.

When Voldemort let up the curse again, Ginny took longer to quiet down. "I only have so much patience, Ginevra," he said to her. "Will you obey me?"

Ginny stared up at him, debating her answer. She wanted to give in, but her up-bringing made her revolt against that idea. She knew that if she didn't obey him, she'd be tortured yet again, or more likely murdered. She was about to sob out that she wanted to, but she couldn't, when Voldemort's patience expired.

Tom once again put the Cruciatus Curse on Ginny, and her bones cracked under the pain. Ginny's screams tore Tom apart inside, and he willed her to be strong, but he was shocked at what happened.

Voldemort heard Ginny scream through her agony, "Please! Please, I will! I will—oh!" She continued screaming even after he'd released her from the curse. Voldemort was pleased with how she had broken under torture, and stopped a little after she'd given in.

Ginny screamed for several minutes before she was able to only sob very hard. Tom stared at her in disbelief. _Ginny cracked under the Cruciatus!_ Tom thought in guilt. _I just tortured her until she promised she'd obey Voldemort! By meeting Ginny, I caused her to go over to the Dark side. Dear Ginny, I never would have come to you if I had known this was going to happen!_

"Very good, Ginevra," said Voldemort in a slightly pleased tone. "I knew you would."

Ginny sobbed in shame, then lay there, whimpering in pain as he knelt beside her, careful to keep his distance from her. He used his wand to roll her onto her side, making her scream in agony. Uncaring, he mended her broken bones (to her shock and Tom's), and mostly healed her of the curse (she was still sore: he knew she would need to remember what he'd done to her).

When he allowed her to sit up, he told her, "Do not tell anyone what has happened, Ginevra. You will obey me, and only me. Tomorrow, you will find out what your brother and Potter are doing and report to me. Be subtle, although that may be asking too much of you. You act like a Gryffindor even though you're not even at school yet—you have as much subtlety as a brick."

Ginny nodded, her tears slowing and tapering off. Her face became passive, and she listened as Tom's cousin explained her duties to her. "I will, Tom," she said.

He half-scowled at the name before straightening his face and standing. Ginny wasn't the slightest bit curious about why he made a face: she was more worried about surviving. "Excellant," he hissed to her in Parseltongue. "Now remember, tell no one, Ginevra."

Tom ached when he heard Ginny call Voldemort "Tom." He knew he needed to say something, and that he only had one chance. He decided to tell Ginny not to trust himself anymore.

Ginny bit her lip and was about to promise that she'd tell no one when suddenly, Tom's expression turned compassionate, and he gasped out hurriedly, "Don't trust me! I'm not—"

Voldemort was furious, and stretched his mind throughout Tom's body, forcing Tom's mind into complete blackness. Tom was no longer aware of anything that was happening. Ginny stared at him, but his expression became cold once more and he repeated, "Tell no one, Ginevra."

"I won't," she whispered, still thinking about his saying, "Don't trust me."

"Good," he said. "I'll be back." Ginny nodded, and Voldemort disapparated from the room, not surprising Ginny (Tom had taught her to do the same thing).

Ginny lay down on her bed, still feeling pain from the curse. She knew what it was: she'd heard her parents and older brothers talk about it sometimes. Ginny's mum didn't like the family to speak of it in front of her, but she sneaked around and heard about it anyway. Ginny fell asleep early that night, mourning about how much she missed lying in Tom's arms (she always slept better with him holding her). She knew that she must be mad, because she wanted him to come back and be her friend. She missed him so much!

* * *

Tom woke up in a cold, dark, damp place. He looked around quickly and realized that he was alone in the Chamber of Secrets. Recalling all that he'd done and witnessed, he shuddered violently from head to foot. He'd seen his cousin do many, many Dark, evil deeds, but Tom had never cared so much for one of Voldemort's victims before.

"Ginny!" he cried aloud. "Ginny, I'm sorry!" Bitter tears spilled down his cheeks as he wept for the first time in his life. He lay his head against one of the serpant statues nearest him and rested there for a long time, just weeping aloud and talking to himself.

"I didn't mean to allow my cousin to hurt you, Ginny," he whispered in the silence of the Chamber. "I forgot what an enemy he can be! I'm sorry about what I said about Harry Potter: I should not have been so harsh. I take back what I said about him being below you as a half-blood. I—I was jealous, dear Ginny. You are—were the only friend that I've ever had, and I've behaved despicably toward you! I betrayed your trust, sweet Ginevra, and I'm so sorry."

As he lay there, he heard a movement along the ground and turned to see Benjy, the basilisk, come out of the cave. Tom smiled sadly and invited the serpant to come over.

Benjy obeyed instantly, watching Tom closely. Tom sighed, then asked in Parseltongue, "Benjy, did you sssee me when I arrived here in the Chamber?"

"Yesss," hissed the giant serpant, "you were very different, and ssseemed asss if you were sssomeone elssse. You were ssslightly angry, but pleasssed with yourssself."

Tom nodded gratefully, reaching up to stroke the snake's scales. "Thank you, Benjy," he told the basilisk. He proceeded to let Benjy know about Lord Voldemort, and the serpant was shocked. Benjy was unable to tell the difference between Tom and Voldemort's "Tom."

* * *

Tom stayed in the Chamber of Secrets for a very long time. It was several days before Tom left the Chamber about midnight and went to the Burrow paddock. Ginny was indeed outside practicing her flying. He decided to wait until she was done practicing before trying to talk to her.

When she landed and turned to go put her broom away, she noticed Tom standing there, and gave a little yelp before slightly inclining her head. "Ginny," he said uncomfortably, "please don't bow to me, or anything like that."

Ginny gave him a strange look, but nodded submissively. Tom's heart ached, and he knew that convincing her he was not the Dark Lord would be extremely difficult. "Ginny, do you remember when I said, 'Don't trust me!'?" She nodded again, and he sighed. "You can't trust me, Ginny. Please be very careful around me: I don't want you to be Cruciated again."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed, or too curious.

Tom sighed. "Ginny, I—I care for you very, very much. You were the only friend I ever had, and I lost you because I was jealous of Potter," he stated flatly. When Ginny looked shocked, he continued, "Yes, I was jealous. You were the only friend I've ever had, and I didn't want Potter to steal you away from me. I'm very sorry, Ginny."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Ginny's voice saying, "Tom?" He turned and she said, "Tom, I still care, even though I try not to. I want to be your friend very badly, but—you're the Dark Lord. And you've lied to me. I can't trust you."

Tom stared at the ground and whispered, "Ginny, Voldemort lied. I am not one with him, no matter what he says. I know you trusted me: you told me that several times when I was possessed by my cousin and he was telling you all those horrible lies."

Ginny looked slightly hopeful, and Tom took a deep breath. "Tom," she began, and noticed tears in his eyes, "how do I know this is true? I want it to be: I'm constantly trying not to miss you so much because it hurts when I think about how you would comfort me and help me go to sleep. I miss your friendship, Tom. Is it true that you're not Voldemort?"

Tom nodded. "When I said, 'Don't trust me,' I was trying to keep you from giving in to him," Tom told her painfully. "I didn't want you to give in! I practically begged him not to Cruciate you, but he did anyway. I'm extremely sorry, sweet Ginny."

Tears stole down Ginny's cheeks. "Tom," she wept softly, "it's been so hard to keep my family from noticing that I've been hurting, and that I've been under such pressure! I'm so glad you taught me to hide my feelings very well. I needed to know that. Thank you. Please—please come with me to my room."

"All right," he said softly, and followed her to her room, turning his back as she readied for bed. She sighed, and he asked, "What is it, Ginny?"

"Oh, Tom," she sighed quietly, "I'm only eleven, and I stood up to Voldemort for about an hour, unprepared and unarmed."

He smiled at her proudly. "You are very, very brave, Ginevra," he praised her. "Now let me give you your 'big brother' hug before you go to bed." She came over to him and he knelt, drawing her into a gentle hug.

"Thank you for being my honorary big brother," she told him softly. "You are a good big brother, even if your hair is not red."

Tom laughed, a sound Ginny hadn't heard for a while. "You're welcome, Ms. Weasley," he teased her. "Now time for bed. Morning comes early!" He turned down the blanket and sheets for her and quietly lay down beside her before pulling the sheets up carefully. "Sleep well," he said to her, gently touching his lips to her forehead.

She smiled and replied, "You too," although she knew that Tom did not need sleep. He put his arm around her and drew her close to himself so that she could use his chest for a pillow like she usually did. "Thank you," she mumbled sleepily, giving him a little hug.

The dark-haired boy smiled and laughed a little, returning the slight embrace. "You are most welcome, my sweet Ginny," he replied gallantly and promptly closed his eyes in order to help Ginny sleep better.


	4. Diagon Alley

Ginny, worried about Tom, tried to watch him to see if she could tell a difference between him and what his cousin was. On the other hand, Tom fought harder against his cousin to keep him from hurting Ginny. Tom stayed in Ginny's mind a lot, helping her through each day, as her brothers teased her endlessly about Harry.

Poor Tom. He finally realized that while he felt jealousy over Ginny, he simply had to put up with her girlish crush on Potter. Tom accepted it, and even tried to help her find words to say to him. Tom still hated himself for helping her "unhealthy" (as he called it) crush on Harry Potter.

In spite of the annoyance, Tom found one thing funny. Ginny could barely speak two audible words to Potter without becoming flustered. While he enjoyed that, he had to keep out of her mind because of his amusement. Tom did not want to upset Ginny again, and he knew that she could sense his laughter in her mind if he stayed there.

The night before Ginny, her family, and Harry were to go to Diagon Alley to get their supplies for school, she and Tom were in her room, talking. "Dear Tom," sighed Ginny, leaning against him as she lay on her bed, "I'm worried about going to school."

"What is it about going to school that has you worried, Ginny?" he asked her calmly.

"Well, what if I don't make any friends?" Ginny said, spilling her fears out to Tom. "What if no one likes me? Tom, what if I end up in Hufflepuff?"

Tom snorted in laughter and had to bury his face in Ginny's pillow. Finally, he lifted his face and told her, "The qualities that Hufflepuff House displays are not yours, Ginevra. You will never be a Hufflepuff. It's just not in you, so don't worry about it."

Ginny smiled a little. "Thank you, Tom," she replied gratefully. "I've been quite worried."

Tom grinned over at her, squeezing her hand in his tightly. "You're welcome, sweet Ginny."

* * *

The next day, as Ginny, her family, and Harry were preparing to go to Diagon Alley, Tom entered Ginny's mind to observe what was going on. _Hmmm,_ mused Tom inside her head. _The Floo Network. I haven't traveled by Floo for years. Do you suppose the great Harry Potter has ever traveled by Floo?_

Ginny's mind, in excitement, snapped back at him, _No, I don't think so. He's lived in the Muggle world for practically his whole life! Do you suppose that there is a Floo Network in the Muggle world?_

Tom seemed to be amused, and replied, _How should I know? I've never even been in the Muggle world! Of course, something tells me a Floo Network in the Muggle world would be very stupid._

Ginny grinned at Tom's sarcasm. She was getting used to the way he acted about certain things, especially Muggles, Muggle-borns, and Harry Potter. Tom didn't like any of those, and his cousin was basically at the root of each reason.

Molly picked Harry to go through the Floo first, and when he told her that he'd never done it before, Fred, George, and Ron all gave him non-stop advice about how to traverse the Floo Network.

_Has it gotten harder to Floo since my time?_ asked Tom. _Because all that advise is sure to confuse Potter. Wouldn't it be amusing if he ended up in Malawi? Or just outside of Azkaban?_

Ginny giggled in her mind, but became composed quickly. _Dear Tom,_ she addressed him, _Harry is going to be lost, but he'll be all right. He always is._

_Ah, yes, the infallible Harry Potter,_ Tom sighed teasingly.

_Always fine._

_Never needs help._

_Stays in line._

_Rotten little—_

_Don't say it!_ Ginny's mind yelped, and Tom laughed teasingly. She knew now that Tom didn't mean what he said, and that his words were just his normal—what she called—Slytherin teasing.

Finally, Ginny went through the Floo system and came out in Diagon Alley. She had been absolutely correct. Harry was nowhere to be seen. Not worried a bit, she told Tom, _Now behave yourself if you're going to stay in my mind. If you say too many funny things, I'll start laughing and Mum will know that something is going on._

Tom grinned to himself. _Then you'll have to convince her that you saw someone doing something quite funny, Ginny,_ he said happily.

Ginny huffed at him teasingly and they laughed together, inside Ginny's mind.

Just then, Ginny's family realized that Harry wasn't there, and they began to worry. "Don't worry, Mum," said Fred, "he'll catch up."

They hurried off without him, and Tom sighed to himself. _Poor Harry Potter. They're leaving him behind. Don't they know he needs protection?_

Ginny rolled her eyes at him carefully (not letting her family see her do it). _Tom, he'll be just fine! He'll catch up! Honestly, you—oh, look, there he is!_

Yes, indeed Harry was there, Ginny saw. He told the Weasleys that he had accidentally gotten to a place called Knockturn Alley, which Ginny's Dad had always told her was not a good place. Harry told them that he had seen Draco Malfoy and his father there, and Ginny's interest waned a bit. She listened to them until her mother took her by the hand (which she was extremely embarrassed about but didn't say anything) and, after getting money from the family vault in Gringotts, took her off to Madam Malkin's robe shop to get Ginny her new school robes.

Tom did indeed stay in Ginny's mind, listening to what was going on around her. He amused himself by watching (through Ginny's eyes) what was going on in the mirror. He smiled to himself when he saw Ginny's new robes being hemmed up. _I know I'm short, Tom, please don't say anything._

_Don't worry, Ginny,_ he reassured her, _you'll grow up, I know you will. Don't worry about it._

She smiled inwardly and continued to pay attention to what her mother and Madam Malkin were up to. Finally, she and her mother left the robe shop and went to buy the other things Ginny needed. Ginny, her family (the rest of whom had rejoined her and her mom), Harry, and Hermione Granger headed into the bookstore to get their school books.

Tom was annoyed that Ginny was with the Granger girl, and Ginny knew it was because the other girl was a Muggle-born. _Tom, it's all right,_ she told him. _She's all right._

He huffed and retreated until Ginny could barely feel his presence in her mind. _Don't pout,_ she told him. _It's unbecoming in a Slytherin._

_Ginny,_ protested Tom, _that was a low blow!_

She smiled teasingly at him and replied, _Yes, and I had to stoop to your level, Tom._

_Ouch,_ Tom commented, but did not retort.

In the bookstore, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny hurried towards the back of it by themselves, but suddenly ran into a crowd of people. Ginny remembered the sign she'd seen about some wizard her mother seemed to looked up to having a book-signing.

_Mother had to pick today of all days to come here,_ thought Ginny in annoyance. _I don't believe a single bit of what I've heard and read about this person. I trust him about as much as I trust the Dark Lord, and I mean that!_

Tom laughed, and Ginny smiled, glad to have amused Tom into coming out of his pout. To Ginny's shock, the wizard, whose name was Gilderoy Lockhart, spotted Harry and yanked him onto the platform, shouting something about the boy-who-lived.

_I think I understand why you don't appreciate Harry very much, Tom,_ Ginny said. _I want to disappear right about now. I wish I could apparate out of here, but that would be too noticeable._

Tom agreed happily, but contentedly watched Harry up on the platform. Ginny realized that Harry was extremely uncomfortable by being showcased by some wacked wizard he didn't even know! Before Ginny knew it, Lockhart had announced that he would be Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher the coming year!

Ginny was absolutely horrified, but realized that her mother and Hermione Granger were ecstatic. _How could they not realize that he's all stuff and fluff?_ Ginny grumbled to herself. _Hearing Ron talking about Granger, you'd never think she was that much of a pushover!_

Tom laughed, completely agreeing with Ginny. _Now, now, Ginny, _he cautioned her teasingly, _you're starting to sound like me—oh, look at that!_

Ginny looked back at Harry and his captor and saw that Lockhart had given Harry a brand-new set of his books! Harry looked so embarrassed that Ginny felt sorry for him. He hurried off the stage and let the books slide into Ginny's cauldron. _What on—_ Ginny's mind gasped in annoyance.

"Here," said Harry quietly to her, "I can buy my own books."

_Are you assuming my family can't?_ Ginny's mind shouted at him rebelliously. _Oh, I hate this! Get me out of here!_

_Ginny,_ Tom began, _keep your head up: there's a boy coming to confront Potter, Granger, and your family. Be careful._

She looked up just in time to see Draco Malfoy come down off of a staircase that led to the second floor of the bookstore. "Bet you enjoyed that, didn't you Potter?" he sneered at Harry.

Ginny was furious that Malfoy would take advantage of the situation to annoy Harry further. _Dear Ginny, he's your typical Slytherin!_ Tom reminded her. _You can deal with him: you are as strong—yes, even stronger—than any of them!_

She stepped forward, looking up into the blonde boy's face. "Leave him alone," she told Malfoy strongly. "He didn't want all that!"

"Oooh," said Malfoy to Harry, "Looks like you've got yourself a girlfriend!"

Ginny's face turned very red as she stood there. She saw Lucius Malfoy come toward her, and felt fury kindle in her. How she despised Lucius Malfoy! Draco stepped aside and allowed his father to face Harry.

Lucius said, "Pardon me," and abruptly moved Harry's hair away from his forehead to see the lightning-shaped scar that Voldemort had given to him. "Your scar is legendary," said Lucius, sounding half-amused. He then finished with triumph, "As is the wizard who gave it to you."

_Voldemort is a half-blood, you dunderhead!_ Ginny shouted at Lucius in her mind just as Harry became very angry.

Mr. Malfoy seemed to cast a shocked glance at Ginny before listening to Harry rant, "Voldemort killed my parents!" Ginny realized that she must have projected her angry thoughts into Lucius' mind, and almost began to laugh at the thought. She then felt disgusted and dirty.

"Ahhh," mused Lucius lazily, "you must be either very brave—or very foolish."

Hermione frowned at that, and lifted her chin, replying, "The fear of a name only increases the fear of the person."

Lucius appeared to be annoyed, and recognized Granger for who she was—a Mudblood. He proceeded to insult both her and the Weasleys. Ginny became absolutely furious with Mr. Malfoy when he took her battered second-hand Transfiguration book out of her cauldron and flipped through it, making a derogatory comment about Mr. Weasley not being able to provide any better for his family.

Ginny, burning in shame and in fury that Lucius would dare handle her books like that, listened as her father said calmly, "We have very different views on what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Ginny was proud of her father, but felt disgusted when he jumped Lucius, and they fell backwards into a bookcase.

Quickly, Ginny reached out and caught the sleeve of the younger Malfoy's robe, pulling him out of the way of the falling books. She then stepped back to where she had been, and watched Draco look secretly around for the person who had pulled him out of harm's way.

She caught his eye and nodded solemnly. He raised an eyebrow in the traditional Malfoy smirk, and she grinned a little, slipping away from her family, who was watching their father fight. "Sorry about this," she said. "I would have expected something like this from my father, but not yours."

Draco nodded. "So would I," he said.

"I don't think we've ever formally met," Ginny said, holding out her hand to him. "I'm Ginevra Weasley."

He looked at her carefully before taking her hand. "Draco Malfoy," he replied royally, and Ginny smiled.

Suddenly, they heard Hagrid, a friend of Harry's, calling for the men to break up the fight. He finally ended it himself, by picking up both Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy (Hagrid was a half-giant).

When Hagrid released Lucius, the blonde man tossed Ginny's book back into her cauldron and said, "Keep the book, girl. It's the best your father can give you." He then strode through the store and snapped, "Come along, Draco." Ginny watched them go, giving Draco a tiny smile before clearing her face.

Ginny turned back to her family, and saw her mother scolding her father for getting into a fight. Harry and Ron were talking together as Percy looked up from his book and frowned disapprovingly. Fred and George weren't there, for they had run off to the nearest joke shop, Ginny remembered. She was about to fall in step with her family again when she caught the Mudblood's eye.

Hermione was watching her closely, her brow furrowed. "Yes?" Ginny asked her quietly, stepping to her side.

"Erm, Ginny," began Hermione, not as quietly, and Ginny frowned, putting her finger to her lips. "Sorry," Hermione almost whispered, "but were you talking to Malfoy?!"

"Yes," Ginny answered easily. "This was the first time we've formally met, and we were bound to introduce ourselves." Hermione didn't look convinced, and Ginny sighed. "It's a ritual that all the old pureblood families know," she said. "Well, most of them. I may be the only person in my family who does it, though."

Hermione tried to look caring and worried. "But, Ginny, he's Draco Malfoy! He's bad news!"

"I only told him my full name and mentioned something about how it was unfortunate that our fathers had to be so undignified as to have a Muggle fist-fight in public—" Ginny clapped her hand over her mouth, and Hermione just stared.

"Ah—" Ginny began to apologize, but her mother called her, and Ginny stepped to her mother's side, deadpan.

* * *

Ginny was so upset that she was barely able to keep her composure on the way back to the Burrow. Tom did not say anything, just remained unusually quiet. When Tom and Ginny were safely in her room at her home, Tom materialized in the room and put his arms around her. She clung to him, feeling surprised at what she'd done.

"Tom," she murmured, "I insulted both Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort! I stood up to Draco Malfoy, but sort of became his ally! I also accidentally insulted Hermione's family!"

He rubbed her back gently. "She knows that it was an accident," he told her. "I am very proud of you, Ginny. You did very well against them, and I don't think Lucius will forget that you were able to project thoughts into his mind for a long time."

Ginny giggled nervously, then stepped away from Tom. "That really was an accident," she said. "I didn't mean to actually let him hear me call him a dunderhead!"

"I can imagine! And imagine what he must have thought upon hearing you say Voldemort's name, hearing you say that Voldemort was a half-blood (which should keep the extremists from following him, but whatever), and hearing you call him names. I wish that I could have known what he was thinking at that moment," Tom laughed.

She laughed with her friend and sat down on her bed. "Well," Tom asked her, "aren't you even going to look through your new books?"

Ginny sighed and replied, "Maybe later tonight, Tom. I'm still too shocked from the excitement in Flourish and Botts."

Tom nodded, then reached into the cauldron and pulled out one of the books Harry had given to her. Reading the cover, he snorted at it in disgust and proceeded to open it. He'd only read about a page and a half when he shut the book and put it back in the cauldron, calling the book "stupid," "useless," and "egotistical."

She grinned and shrugged. "I know practically everything about Lockhart," she told Tom. "Mom has read practically everything that has been written about or by Lockhart. I could give you a rundown of everything his books say he's done."

"Please don't," Tom requested, looking alarmed. Ginny grimaced in reply, and he added, "You really don't believe that he did any of those ridiculous things! Some of the maladies he claims to have cured people and creatures of do not even exist! He's a phony, fake, whatever you want to call him. Don't trust a word he says, and don't stake your life on him ever."

Ginny nodded very seriously, and Tom smiled finally. "All right," Ginny said cheerfully. "I'm ready to look at my books—the ones besides the useless ones."

Tom nodded and took out Ginny's A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration and her potions textbook. He smiled in recognition of the potions text. "Still the same," he said. "The text hasn't changed in fifty years!"

Taking the potions textbook from Tom's hand, Ginny opened it and read the ingredients to the first potion. "Oh," Ginny said after a minute or two of silence, "I think that Potions class will be easy enough: it's the professor that will be hard to put up with."

"Who is the professor?" Tom asked. "It has to have changed since I've been there!"

Ginny giggled slightly. "Of course!" Then she became solemn. "The professor's name is Severus Snape, and Ron says that he's the worst professor there ever was! He picks on Ron just because he's a Weasley, and he hates Gryffindors!"

Tom nodded. "Severus Snape: Slytherin, attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978. Amazing wizard, really," he told Ginny, who was staring at him in awe. "He created some of his own spells, and he excelled at Potions. Adept at the Dark Arts, he knew more curses when he started Hogwarts than most of the seventh years did! Not too friendly with James Potter and his friends, though."

Ginny stared at Tom, unable to speak. Tom continued, "Snape was bullied by Potter and his friend Sirius Black III all during their school years, and that's why Snape is so bitter against the Gryffindors, Harry Potter in particularly."

"Tom," Ginny finally gasped, "how do you know all this?"

Tom smiled ironically. "I've lived fifty years in the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny," he explained to her, "and I've observed many, many students over the years. I keep track of what they've done at school and what they're up to now. It's helped me quite a bit to know who has a grudge against whom, and it's interesting to see how the different students turn out."

"Do you keep track of all of them?"

"No," answered the dark-haired boy, handing Ginny her Transfiguration book, "but I can go to a certain place in the Chamber and ask for information on any person that has ever entered Hogwarts, and it will list everything they've ever said or done, hitting the highlights, but storing a lot more information."

Amazed, Ginny opened her Transfiguration book, and another book fell out of its pages. At first, Ginny thought some pages had fallen out of the book, so she picked them up. Tom stared at Ginny, then shouted for her to put the book down. She stared at him, then quickly set the book on the ground.

Tom stared at the journal, disbelief written in his face. "Ginny, that's—that's the journal," he said in a very strange tone. "That's the book I'm trapped in—that part of my cousin is trapped in! Why is it here?"

Ginny looked worried. "I really don't know, Tom," she murmured worriedly. "But it's dangerous, isn't it?"

Tom half-smiled before nodding at her. "Ginny, any Dark Artefact is dangerous: I'm sure you've heard your father speak about them before. However, the journal is even more dangerous than any other Dark object, simply because it has part of my cousin in it!"

Staring in horror at Tom and at the journal, Ginny finally touched the book and it sent a strong tingling sensation through her. Opening the journal to the first page, she saw that it was blank. Flipping through the rest of the book, Ginny realized there was no writing in it. "Tom," Ginny asked, "what should I do with it? I need to protect it, don't I?"

Tom shook his head. "It would have been a lot better if Malfoy had left the journal at his home," he stated flatly. "This book should not be in the possession of a young, innocent girl."

"Malfoy gave this to me?" Ginny gasped, then realized that he must have slipped it into one of her books while they were in Flourish and Botts. "Tom, I have to protect it: you live out of it!" Tom sighed deeply, angered at his cousin and Lucius Malfoy. "Tom, what happens if I write in it?" Ginny asked him carefully.

"Ginny," Tom said to her, suddenly sounding very tired, "I'm sorry that I've gotten you so mixed up in this mess with my cousin. If you write in the journal, I believe that both Voldemort and I will be able to see what you've written, and one of us (or perhaps both) will write back. I don't understand this sort of thing very well, since I'm not the one who instigated the Dark Arts responsible for my detention in that stupid book."

Ginny shut the journal and slipped her hand into Tom's. "None of this is your fault, Tom," she told him, "and I'm going to take you with me to Hogwarts. I'll write to you once in a while, and talk to you (C) most of the time."

Tom smiled unhappily at his little red-haired friend. "I'll come to you, out of the journal, and take you to the Chamber," he informed her, "seven days after you arrive at school. You'll need time to settle in before I show you the Chamber. I can also give you information about shortcuts to classrooms as well as secret passageways to unknown places!"

"Thank you, Tom," Ginny said gratefully. "I'm so glad that you're my friend! We're going to be just fine." She wrapped her arms around Tom and hugged him tightly.


	5. School Sisters

Ginny woke up early on September first, eager to begin her schooling. She quickly packed her trunk with everything that she would need and hurried on downstairs to breakfast. Her mother was bustling around as usual and Ginny tried to avoid the things flying through the air as her mother helped her boys prepare.

Smiling to herself, Ginny thought, _Why do the boys need help when I've got everything together?_

Soon enough, Ginny, her family, and Harry were packed into the Weasley family car (a Muggle object her father had enchanted to fly) and were headed to King's Cross Station to catch the Hogwarts Express. Unfortunately for the Harry and the Weasleys, they were running late because of everything that had had to be done.

First one of the twins forgot his firecrackers and they had to go back. Molly was extremely annoyed, worried that they would be late to the train station. Then, the other twin realized he'd forgotten his broomstick! Molly was about to refuse to return to the house, but Arthur said to her, turning the car around, "Well, Molly, he is on the Quidditch team."

Molly fumed on the ride back home, and Ginny smiled smugly to herself. She asked Tom, _Aren't my brothers crazy?_

He seemed to laugh slight, and Ginny detected excitement in him. _Dear Ginevra,_ he said to her, _your brothers are highly amusing and very interesting!_

After the boy came out with his broomstick, Molly announced to everyone in the car that they would not be turning back for anything else. Poor Ginny. She had just recalled in horror that she'd left Tom's journal on her bed. She couldn't leave it to her parents' mercy: she knew that Dark objects weren't treated kindly by her father. Ginny could hardly let them find it and have them realize what it really was.

"My diary!" cried Ginny. "I left it at home!"

Her brothers stared at her in amazement, and Percy sniffed at her in disapproval. Fred asked, "Oooh, Ginny, can we read it?"

"No!" Ginny burst out at the same time her mother half-shouted, "No! We're not going back! We'll owl it to you." Ginny burst into tears instantly, something she had learned from growing up in a home with six brothers. Arthur looked at Molly apologetically and turned the car around, heading back to the house. "You'd better hurry, Ginevra!" Molly fumed.

Ginny was upset with her mother's use of her full name, but she was pleased that she had been able to melt her dad so easily. She leapt out of the car and ran into the house, up the stairs into her bedroom. Pulling back her bedsheets, she picked up the journal and held it to herself tightly. It felt warm to her, and she carefully tucked it into her pocket before running back down the stairs and out to the car.

She sat there in the car, feeling her mother's annoyance, but being extremely happy with the way she had caused her father to go back to the Burrow. Ginny was pleased that she now had the journal with her: she shuddered to think what might have happened if her parents had found it.

* * *

To Ginny's chagrine, Molly held her hand as they went through the barrier onto Platform 9 3/4. When Ginny protested, her mother told her to be quiet. Slightly angry, Ginny inwardly fumed and obeyed.

Percy helped Ginny load her trunk onto the train and sat her down in a compartment before hurrying off to the special prefect compartment. _Phooey on prefects,_ thought Ginny. _Phooey, phooey, phooey._

_Ginny,_ Tom mentioned in amusement, _I was a prefect._

Shocked, Ginny asked, _Really, Tom? A Slytherin prefect? Were you an annoying prefect?_

Tom smiled to himself, and replied, _Of course, Ginny. Slytherin prefects are nothing but pains: they love handing out detention to other students, mostly the Gryffindors. They also like to hex students that they find out of bed after lights out or in off-limits places._

Grinning, Ginny said, _Wonderful. Are you going to centure me when I'm out of bed after lights-out?_

_No,_ Tom answered laughingly, _I understand that it is necessary to bend rules once in a while—although that might be really hard for you to accept. And, Ginny, I was Head Boy. So I know a lot about the upper workings of the student body. I can manipulate the prefect population to do what I wish._

_You're scary_, Ginny teased Tom. He was about to reply when the compartment door opened and a blonde girl came in with a boy. "Hello," said the girl, and Ginny recognized her neighbor, Luna Lovegood. "May we sit here with you, Ginny?" Luna asked. "All the other compartments are filled with students—well, except for the Slytherin compartments, and I'd rather meet a—" and she named some creature that Ginny had never heard of before.

"Sure," said Ginny, scooting over and making room for Luna beside her.

The boy, who was holding a camera, sat across from them, and asked, "What's a—a—" He stopped, and Luna smiled a bit, repeating her statement and telling the boy about the creature.

Ginny thought that telling the boy (who seemed to know nothing about the wizarding world) about a supposedly existant magical creature probably wasn't a good idea. "You don't believe me, do you?" Luna asked her. "Colin does."

_So I see,_ thought Ginny to herself. She smiled at Luna and Colin. "Stranger things have happened, Luna, and I suppose that in our world, anything is possible."

The boy, who told Ginny his name was Colin Creevey, agreed, and said to Ginny, "Is it true that Harry Potter stayed at your house last summer?"

Instantly, Ginny felt uncomfortable, and nodded. She had gathered from Colin's rambling that he was a Muggle-born, and that he had a little brother. The camera he had came from his father, who had asked him to take pictures of the Wizarding World to bring back home. Ginny told Colin that Harry was a normal person, and then stared out the window for some time, not wanting to get into another conversation with the boy.

"What House are you hoping to be sorted into?" Luna asked Ginny.

Ginny turned to look at the other girl. Even though the two girls lived quite close to each other, Ginny did not really know Luna very well. Honestly, Ginny knew two slightly nasty twin girls a lot better than she knew Luna. Ginny wondered where the twins (Brianna and Samantha Charleston) were.

"Um, I don't really know," Ginny stammered, while two voices in her head argued over Gryffindor and Slytherin (the voices were her divided thoughts).

"I'm hoping to be at least a Ravenclaw," Luna decided out loud. "I do not, under any condition, want to be a Slytherin. They are dispicable, and—"

Ginny, a little upset that Luna was saying things against Tom and his fellow Slytherins, interrupted, "Not all Slytherins are wicked, Luna. They have their good qualities too: many of them are good leaders and are quite logical!"

Luna looked amazed at Ginny's statement. "Okay," said Luna slowly, "Ginny, didn't your family teach you that all the Death Eaters came from the House of Slytherin? You-know-who himself came from Slytherin! That should be enough to make any good person avoid that House!"

Tom was a bit upset, and Ginny, sensing his feelings, sighed, "Not all Death Eaters, Luna. There have to be others outside Slytherin. Anyway, my whole family was in Gryffindor, and that's probably what everyone expects of me."

Colin frowned, and asked Ginny to explain each of the Houses. "Colin," began Ginny, "before the sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat will sing a little song that will explain the four Houses. I honestly think that you'll end up in Gryffindor because you mean well in what you do, even if it's an accident."

Luna grinned and agreed. She and Colin talked together quietly, and Ginny pulled out the journal and took her quill and ink out of her bag.

_Tom, I'm on the Hogwarts Express,_ she wrote. _I met Luna Lovegood, who I know from home, and Colin Creevey, who happens to be a Muggle-born. Colin is really annoying, and seems to adore Harry Potter._

The words sank into the page and Ginny watched in fascination as words swam up to the surface of the page to read, _I listened to the exchange about the Houses. The other three Houses are just as prejudiced as Slytherin is, and I hate_—the word disappeared as quickly as it had appeared—_severely dislike listening to such rubbish._

Ginny sighed and wrote quickly, _I understand, Tom. I find it hard not to be annoyed when people say things like that about Slytherin. I almost attacked Ron for saying horrible things about Slytherin, but I was able to stop myself._

_When you said that your family probably expects you to be a Gryffindor, did you mean that you were going to just accept and follow their expectations?_ Tom's words floated up. _You could be yourself, you know, Ginevra. And I think you could reach your full potential in the House of Slytherin. You could be a great leader._

Ginny read Tom's message and quickly replied, stabbing her quill into the page as she wrote, _Tom, I would be honored to be a Slytherin, but I'm rather worried about what my family would think about it if I were._

She bit her lip and waited for his reply. _Dear Ginny,_ he wrote carefully, his handwriting perfectly even, _you hate being coddled, I know you do. You want to take care of yourself, and you wish to be self-reliant without your hoard of older brothers looking out for you. Unless you are set up in Slytherin where you have to look out for yourself and discern and fight danger quickly, you will be unable to excell by yourself. Your family will always care for you no matter where you are sorted, Ginny: I've learned that about them. They will always love you, no matter what happens between them and you._

_Tom,_ Ginny wrote, quite worried, _I don't know! In Slytherin I would know no one: Malfoy is there, though, and he hates my family!_

_Ginny, your family is not in Slytherin. If you were to be sorted into Slytherin, Malfoy may accept you as a "better specimen of the Weasley family."_ Tom, inside the journal, looked up at the walls which served as the pages onto which he projected his thoughts. _Even if you are a Gryffindor, you can earn respect in Slytherin. It is worth it to have the House of Slytherin behind you when you are on the outs with nearly everyone you know._

Ginny was reassured, and wrote, _Thank you, Tom_ before closing the journal and returning the materials back to her bag. She held the journal in her arms and stared out the window, waiting to arrive at Hogwarts.

A few minutes later, the compartment door opened and a brown-haired girl came in. Ginny was extremely displeased to see that it was Hermione Granger, Ron and Harry's friend. "Ginny," said the older girl, "do you know where Harry and Ron are?"

"They should be on the train somewhere," Ginny replied shortly.

Hermione shook her head. "I looked all through the train cars, and they're not here. I don't think they got on the train!" said Hermione worriedly.

Ginny finally looked directly into Hermione's face. "If they did indeed miss the train, then they will get to school some other way. Don't worry about them: Ron knows his way around the Wizarding World and he can take care of himself," Ginny told Hermione, slightly smiling to herself. She knew that Ron would need help to get around the world though, but that's where Harry came in.

Hermione tilted her head and looked at Luna and Colin. "Hi," she said to them, then turned back to Ginny. "We're getting close to Hogwarts anyway: I hope they'll show up there. Ginny, you should come with me and change into your school robes."

"I can change my robes by myself just fine, thanks," Ginny snapped at the brown-haired girl. She jumped up and stormed away to change, calling over her shoulder, "I don't need a big sister: I have six brothers! Leave me alone!"

Shocked, Hermione, Luna, and Colin stared at each other for a brief instant before Hermione left, going back to her train compartment.


	6. Gryffindor Family and Slytherin Allies

Ginny joined the other first-years in the boats that rowed themselves across the river. She hurried to find Brianna and Samantha and quickly joined them. "Hi, girls," she said, calmly stepping into the boat with them.

"Ginny!" they cried. "Oh, we haven't seen you in a long time!" They quickly hugged their friend and told her to sit down carefully. "What's been going on?" Brianna asked her.

"Oh," Ginny sighed, "I've been so busy trying to prepare to come to school! You know Potter—I mean, Harry—is staying at our house?" Ginny went on to explain how Colin Creevey was so annoying and how Luna Lovegood was really nice. "I'm worried about what House I'll be in," Ginny continued. "My family is all Gryffindor, but I feel drawn to Slytherin as if that is where I have always belonged, like I have a tendril in that House that will never let go."

Samantha leaned forward in the boat and smiled at her friend. "Good," she told Ginny. "Then we can be Slytherins together. Brie and I know that we're headed for Slytherin, and we would love for you to join us.

Brianna got a slightly wicked look on her face and said, "I'll never understand why your mother allowed you to be friends with us when we're quite opposed to how your parents think."

"Maybe they thought I could change you," Ginny giggled with the twins. "Not so. You'll always be the incredible Charleston twins, offshoot of the House of Black. You are awesome. I wish that I was like you, and could be sure of my House. I would love Slytherin, but I am afraid of what my family will say, especially Mum and my brother Ron. He hates all Slytherins with a vengeance."

The twins laughed together. "Well, no matter what," Brianna promised Ginny, "we will always be friends." The three girls clasped hands, chorusing, "Always, always, always!" Then they sat back quietly in the boat and watched the other first-years in the other boats as they floated along.

* * *

Ginny waited with the other first-years as Professor McGonagall spoke to them about House point systems and things like that. Ginny tuned the professor out and tried to calm herself down. She drifted toward the back of the crowd, knowing that with her last name of Weasley she'd probably be the last one to be sorted.

_Wonderful,_ she thought to herself as the first-years marched into the Great Hall, _I have to wait until all these others are sorted until I'll be sorted. I'm going to be a nervous wreck by the time I'm supposed to be sorted._

Just after some brown-haired girl was sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor Snape came into the Great Hall and called McGonagall out of the room. One of the other professors took over calling the names. "Brianna Charleston!"

Brianna Charleston stepped forward and sat upon the sorting stool. The hat was placed on her head, and she sat up straight and tall, a proud smile on her face. "SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat, and the Slytherin House table erupted into cheers.

Ginny smiled to herself and said to Samantha, "Those Slytherins don't know what they're in for."

Samantha grinned at her friend, and was called up to the sorting stool. She strode forward boldly and sat down. She too was placed in Slytherin, to her sister's delight. Ginny smiled slightly as she hid her sad feelings. The Charleston twins had been the first Slytherins to be sorted that year.

Ginny watched, extremely worried, as she watched Colin sorted into Gryffindor, a random boy named Harper sorted into Slytherin, and Luna Lovegood sorted into Ravenclaw. Ginny also saw several girls (Kefira, Karidia, Marlene, and Marianne) go to Gryffindor; when she saw Megan Sage and Guinevere Rillian sorted into Slytherin, she was quite jealous, and worried more. At the very end, Ginny stood alone until the professor called her name. "Ginevra Weasley."

Tom told Ginny that he was going to leave her mind until she came to him in the Chamber (he had told her all about how to find and open the chamber). Ginny agreed, and felt him leave; poor Ginny felt very alone.

Ginny walked forward slowly and sat down on the sorting stool. The professor placed the Sorting Hat on Ginny's head, and a sense of dread filled her. "Ahhh," said the Sorting Hat, "another Weasley, this time a girl!"

"Of course I'm a girl," Ginny's mind told the Sorting Hat. "Please just sort me."

"Yes, yes," said the Sorting Hat. "Let's see: all your family has been in Gryffindor—well, all the Weasley family. And—ah, you're a Parselmouth! Very few people have that ability, and those all belong in Slytherin. You're an interesting one, Weasley. You could go either way!"

Ginny was frightened, but endeavored to stop it from showing on her face. Her family (except Ron, who still hadn't been seen by any of the students) was watching her, and she felt pressured, closing her eyes.

The Sorting Hat noticed that Ginny was trying to keep her fear from showing, and said, "Aha!" Ginny's eyes flew open in surprise. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Sorting Hat to the rest of the school.

As Ginny forced a smile onto her face and bounced up to the Gryffindor House table, only one thing ran through her mind. _Tom is not going to be happy with me! I so wanted to be a Slytherin but I was too scared to go against my family! And just what did the Sorting Hat mean by my Weasley family were Gryffindors? Every single person in my family—_

Ginny smiled at her brothers, Colin, her new dorm mates, and Hermione. She was very much looking forward to hiding away in her dormitory room.

* * *

Ginny lay on her four-poster bed with the curtains closed. She shared a dorm room with four other Gryffindor girls whose names she couldn't remember. She figured she'd learn their names by the time she graduated from school. The journal lay on Ginny's chest and she watched it careful as her breathing made it rise and fall.

The red-haired girl was extremely worried that Tom would be upset with her about her being sorted into Gryffindor. _I could have asked the Hat to sort me into Slytherin, _Ginny thought to herself. _It would have, if I had asked it._

She put her arms around the journal and hugged it to herself. _When I go to meet Tom,_ she decided, _I'll just put the best face on it that I can. After all, I am a Gryffindor, and there is nothing to be done about it_.

Ginny fell asleep with the journal in her arms, caringly stroking its black cover with her fingers.

* * *

That first week of school seemed to pass very quickly, and soon, Ginny was getting out of bed to get ready to go see Tom in the Chamber of Secrets. She pulled her robe on, then tied her shoes and slipped her cloak around her shoulders. She quietly left her dorm room, moving softly down the hall of girls dorm rooms, down the stairs into the Gryffindor Common Room.

She quickly walked across the room and exited the Common Room, heading toward the third floor girls' bathroom, or (as it was commonly called because of the ghost "living" there) Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Ginny entered the bathroom, taking care to not disturb Myrtle by making too much noise.

Ginny walked over to the sink with the serpant designs on it and paused. "Open up," hissed Ginny to it in Parseltongue. It opened, and formed something like a slide for her to slide down. Ginny fell onto the floor at the very end and sat there for a minute, trying to gain her courage. _Why am I down here?_ she asked herself. _Oh, yes, that's right—Tom._

She carefully stood up, noticing that her robes were dirty. Ginny realized that the pipe thing she had slid down had probably been filthy, not having had anyone in it for fifty years! She tried to brush off her clothes, then stopped, deciding it wasn't worth it.

Ginny walked out of the entrance room and came face-to-face with a wall. _Nice,_ Ginny thought to herself. _Lovely depictions of serpants!_ Ginny wasn't the least bit phased by seeing the thirty foot long snake skin that had been shed by the basilisk. She barely noticed it, commanding the wall to let her into the main room of the Chamber (or so she figured).

When the wall opened for Ginny, she looked up and saw Tom in the middle of the room ahead, waiting for her. Her worry returning, she walked forward into the Chamber of Secrets. _Wow,_ was Ginny's first thought upon entering the room. She stared up at the high ceiling, then at the full statue of Salazar Slytherin (not that it was labeled: Ginny instinctively recognized him). Ginny looked around at all the water on the floor.

"Like it?" Tom asked her quietly, walking toward her.

She nodded, and turned away from him. "It's amazing, Tom! It's such a lonely, strange place!"

Tom detected something wrong with Ginny, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Then what's wrong, Ginny?" he asked her calmly, turning her to face him. She did not look up at him, but stared at Tom's robes with speaking. Tom's eyes dropped from Ginny's face to her robes.

Ginny felt Tom stiffen as he saw the emblem there. Tears came to Ginny's eyes, and she became very still. Tom's finger traced the Gryffindor House crest, and he said, "Gryffindor." Ginny looked up at her friend suddenly and saw his dark countenance.

_She's one of them! She can't be—not Ginny!_ Tom's mind shouted at him. He felt extremely angry, and knew that his cousin was waiting for a chance to take him over.

_Leave her,_ Voldemort suggested. Tom refused, even though his mind was still reeling, and his cousin added, _Then hurt her, Riddle. You know she trusts you completely: show her what you think about her House._

At that moment, Ginny burst into tears and threw her arms around Tom, clinging to him tightly. "I'm sorry, Tom," she wept. "I—I'm a Gryffindor."

Voldemort, seeing his cousin wavering, mocked Ginny. '_I'm sorry, Tom, I'm a Gryffindor!' She's not sorry for what she is, Riddle: their kind never is. You know you can't trust her anymore: she'll put you in danger. She's worthless now; destroy her while you have her here!_

Furious with his cousin (which distracted him from Ginny), Tom snapped back, _You're worthless, Mud-filth! You're just worried about her putting a little piece of your own self in danger, and I won't let you keep me from having the friend I never had!_

Tom put his arms around Ginny, possessively holding her to himself. "It does not matter, Ginny," he said, and his voice shook, his mind rebelling against him, "you are my friend, and—I don't care what you are." He squeezed her tightly, and she returned the tight squeeze.

_Riddle,_ hissed Voldemort in cold fury, _you will regret saying that, and the girl will hurt for that as well._

Ginny felt Tom shudder and gave a little sob. She pressed her face into his robes, looking at the Slytherin House crest he proudly displayed. Tom tightened his arms around Ginny, seeming to hold her protectively. Tears of regret rolled down Ginny's cheeks as she sobbed out, "Tom, I could have been a Slytherin—the Sorting Hat said so! I could be a Slytherin right now, but I was too afraid!"

"Ginny," Tom murmured to her, finally able to control his emotions, "I always knew that you were a choice for either Slytherin or Gryffindor. I may not agree with what many of your housemates believe, but I still care for you, and I will not hurt you for such a stupid reason!"

He carefully held Ginny as her tears slowed and she quieted. She sighed after several minutes, and whispered, "Tom, thank you. I was afraid that you'd be very angry with me!"

Tom gently touched his hand to her cheek and lifted her face to his. "Never, Ginevra," he said. He leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead. "That's a promise," he told her. His heart pounded as he hugged her once more, then released her.

He had never cared for stupid, weak, conniving girls, but Ginny was exactly the opposite of them, an excellant example of a pureblood. She had a touch of compassion about her: a good thing, he knew, since she was capable of many dangerous things just like he was. He considered her to be perfect, and knew that he would take her as she was (strong, young, and innocent) and make her even more powerful.

Ginny finally smiled up at Tom, surprised at his display of affection: she was used to having to work very hard to know what he was feeling. He seemed to have surprised himself, and grinned sheepishly at Ginny before taking her hand in his and leading her into one of the side rooms. "What is this room for?" she asked him.

"For anything, basically," Tom told her. "This one is set up as a dining room, but there are others. Several of the off-rooms are set up as bedrooms, and some of them are empty, waiting for whatever we decide to do with them."

Ginny nodded, running her hand along the cold, stone chairs and table. "Cold," she said, pulling her hand away.

"If you want to change how it looks or feels, you can, Ginny," Tom told her. "I've given you full run of the Chamber—except that you can't change the entrance room or the main room of the Chamber." When Ginny looked excited, but unsure how to proceed, Tom smiled at her. "There are certain things I have been wanting to teach you that I could only teach you at Hogwarts. Now we can finally begin the fun."

He then proceeded to show Ginny how to change the stone chairs and table into wood using her wand. She managed to get the chair done well enough (however, it ended up looking very old and rickety), but she couldn't get the table done.

Tom nodded at her first attempt with the chair and told her, "Once you become better at this, you can change colors, textures, feel, shapes, objects—practically anything! You'll become quite good at this, Ginny, but not overnight. It does take some time to grow and learn to control your magical talent, especially if you don't know all the abilities you have!"

Ginny was excited, but told Tom, "The Chamber of Secrets is excellant, and I wouldn't change how it looks, but it is so dreary! And it's rather—I don't know—dark! The Burrow is cheery, Hogwarts is cheery, the Gryffindor Common Room is cheery—why does the Chamber of Secrets have to be so horribly miserable, Tom? Can't I help that?"

"The Chamber was created to be miserable, Ginny," Tom stated flatly, transforming the chair back into stone. "Its purpose was to destroy all the Mudbloods—yes, Ginny, I do use that word, Mudblood—in the school. There are no good feelings toward that kind in here, nor toward those who sympathize with them. Yes, I do feel the cold: I have become used to it somewhat. If you're ever around my cousin, he radiates that kind of cold!" Tom sighed happily, stepping out of the room (Ginny followed him) and looking around. "But I love the Chamber. It's been my home for nearly fifty years, and I'll never give it up."

With a tiny smile, Ginny nodded understandingly. "You are a lot like the Chamber, Tom. It's so cold and somewhat callous sometimes. It doesn't show you very much: you have to search to find out its secrets! It's easy to understand that you're the Heir of Slytherin. You even resemble Salazar Slytherin slightly!" Ginny told her friend.

He laughed in surprise, his eyes wide. After being shocked speechless for a moment, he replied, "I don't know which one of us you just insulted!"

Tom and Ginny laughed together, looking up toward the statue. "Anyway, Ginny," Tom said, becoming solemn, "I have other things to show you. There are two other rooms especially that I want to show you."

Ginny smiled at Tom happily, then gave him a quizzical look. "But, Tom, where is the basilisk?"

"Ah," said Tom. He whirled back around to face the statue and hissed (P) up at it, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four!"

The mouth of the statue opened, and Ginny stared up at it in amazement as she heard something stirring inside of it. She watched as a serpant with large yellow eyes issued from the statue. "Greatest indeed," breathed Ginny.

Tom nodded at Ginny. "He's amazing, Ginny," said the dark-haired boy. "Benjy is practically a millenium old! He's still as strong and vibrant as he ever had been."

"And he belongs to you?" Ginny asked as the basilisk slithered toward them.

Tom raised an eyebrow at the red-haired girl, very proud of himself. "Something like that, Ginevra. Really, though, Salazar put him here when the Chamber was created, so I rather inherited him, although I don't necessarily 'own' him," Tom told her.

Ginny watched the great serpant in awe as he went right up to Tom and hissed, "What is it, young one? Why have you summoned me?" Benjy eyed Ginny, and she looked the basilisk in the eyes, surprising him. "Who is this child that you have brought here? She is very much like you, Riddle: my eyes do not kill her."

Tom looked from his basilisk to Ginny and nodded at her. She spoke to Benjy for the first time (P). "Thank you for trying to kill me," she said, then smiled a little, still watching him hin amazement.

Benjy looked from the girl back to his master. "Young one, who is this child with you?"

"Benjy, this is my friend that I have been telling you about," Tom told the basilisk. "Her name is Ginevra Molly Weasley, but I alternately call her 'Ginny' and 'Ginevra.' She, as you probably already know, is a natural Parselmouth, and a very powerful girl. Don't ever hurt her: obey her as you obey me."

"Yes, young one," Benjy conceded, then turned to look at Ginny. He proceeded to tell her about how he and Tom (young one) had met for the first time, and how he had met Tom's cousin Voldemort (the Dark one). Benjy said that he had been tricked into believing that Voldemort was Tom, and had followed him around the school not too many years ago, killing and petrifying students.

Tom smiled at the way his basilisk explained his experiences to Ginny, and added, "That was fifty years ago, Ginny. It doesn't seem like that long to Benjy because he's lived much, much longer than that!"

Ginny laughed happily, and Benjy seemed to smile a little, continuing, "I did not know that they were different: young one had never informed me that he had an evil cousin that was using me until a few days ago. It seems like it's happening again, child ('Child' was Benjy's name for Ginny)."

"Oh, Benjy," sighed Ginny, "I hope you won't be caught in this nonsense again. Don't ever believe that this is your fault!"

Benjy seemed to sigh and accept Ginny's words. "I like you, child," the basilisk told her. "You are good for the young one: he needs a friend, whether he likes to admit it or not!"

Tom put his arm around Ginny, and Benjy seemed to be amused at them. "Ginny is my only human friend," Tom said, "but she is the best friend I will ever have, most likely. I do need her: I think she is the only person in the world who can understand the predicament that I am in!"

"I'm proud to be his friend," Ginny stated happily, "and I'm happy to meet you, Benjy, and to become your friend."

The serpant seemed to smile and bow to Ginny before leaving to return to his cave.

Tom turned to Ginny, returning to English and saying, "I am glad that I met you, Ginny. I don't know what I'd do now without you! Well, it's getting late. You should go back up to your dorm room and go to bed: you need your rest so that you can be alert and learn in class."

Ginny snorted. "With Lockhart as a professor? Learn? Oh, no, Tom, I can't learn anything from him. He's such a fake, and all he wants us to know is what his favourite holiday, dessert, color, etc... is. I hate him: his classes are a waste of time. I usually spend them trying to ignore his stupid haircut and those stupid fan girls of his!" she spat in annoyance.

"Ah. You sound like me, Ginevra," Tom said, quite pleased with her, "cold, annoyed, indifferent—I must have taught you something right."

"Huh," Ginny huffed. "I'm so glad you're helping me learn different things, Tom, because I don't think I could survive the year without your help! I'll work on the transfiguration you taught me: thanks for showing me the un-transfiguration spell."

Tom laughed. "You're welcome. The last thing you want your housemates—or anyone else, for that matter—to find is a partially transfigured anything!" he told her. "Let me tell you something else: if this professor is a fake and is bragging about all these things he really didn't do, then you can usually get what you want from him by flattering him!"

Ginny smiled and threw her arms around Tom, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much for your help," she murmured to him, "and I think your basilisk is lovely."

Amused by Ginny's description of Benjy, Tom replied, "You're welcome, Ginny. Now come along, and I'll show you how to get out of the Chamber." He led her back to the entrance and reopened the Chamber. Tom then drew his wand and made sure Ginny was watching him. She was, and, very carefully, he tapped his wand on the pipe leading back up to the school.

To Ginny's amazement, steps opened up in the pipe. "Goodbye," he told her, kneeling and giving her a "big brother" hug. "See you later. I'll be around."

She squeezed him tightly and whispered, "Goodbye." She reached out to him with her mind and connected the two of them together. "I'll be back." Ginny leaned back and looked into his eyes, smiling because she loved how safe and comfortable she felt in her friend's arms. She gave him one last hug, pressing her cheek against his, before he stood, releasing her.

Tom gave Ginny a boost up into the pipe (which came out of the wall almost on the level with her height!) and squeezed her hand, telling her, "I'll be looking out for you down here, Ginny. I'll let you know if any of the students plot against you or something like that."

"Thank you," the red-haired girl told the boy. She then hurried up the steps, away from the Chamber of Secrets.


	7. Professors, Dorm Mates: Enemies

Ginny was angry. She was sitting in Snape's Potions class, fuming because she'd just been given detention. Why? She hadn't kept her mouth shut when Snape had made a disparaging comment about how she was just as horrible at Potions as the rest of her family. _Why on the earth did I answer him?_ Ginny wondered to herself, staring at her cauldron as if she would melt it. _Why did I tell him that he was everything my brothers had said about him and more?_

Her potion partner (who just happened to be a Slytherin, of all people) was laughing at her. Ginny waited until Snape's back was to her, then turned and snarled at the Slytherin girl. The girl looked slightly surprised, but smiled triumphantly at Ginny, tossing her dark hair.

"If you're not careful," Ginny murmured to the girl (her name was Reyalalie Riker), "I'm going to hex you when we get out of here." The girl's eyes widened, and Ginny nodded. "I don't appreciate irritating girls."

"You can't!" the girl said, trying to laugh a little. "You don't know—"

Ginny leaned closer to the other girl and whispered, "Yes, I do know enough hexes to put you out of commission for the next two or three weeks, Riker. But if you'll stop annoying me except to save face in front of your housemates, I'll leave you alone as well."

The girl scowled. "You are bluffing, Weasley," she hissed in a low voice. "You can't do anything you're threatening to do, and I don't have to put up with an ignorant Gryffindor like you!" Riker turned her head away from Ginny, leaning forward to put an ingredient into the cauldron.

Ginny noticed that the Slytherin girl had around three times as much of the ingredient as she needed and quickly leaned forward, yanking the other girl back from the cauldron before she could ruin the potion.

The Charleston twins noticed Ginny's problem, and decided to distract Snape from Ginny and Reyalalie by annoying two of Ginny's dorm mates. When the two other Gryffindor girls snapped back at the Charleston twins, Snape looked up at them and calmly took points away from Gryffindor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Riker snarled at Ginny, ignoring the twins and Kefira and Karidia (the Gryffindor girls).

"You were going to put too much of that—" said Ginny, indicating the root in the Slytherin girl's hand, "—into the cauldron. This potion only needs—"

Riker stared at Ginny in amazement when the red-haired girl smiled in amusement as Gryffindor lost House points. "Are you insane?" Riker whispered. "Your house just lost points and you're smiling?"

Ginny turned to look at the Slytherin girl. "Just put one-third of the roots in the potion," she said to Riker. "Carefully too, or else—don't—!"

The Slytherin girl had spitefully moved toward the cauldron to go ahead with all the roots she had had in the first place! Ginny looked at her in horror, then dashed up to Snape's desk to grab the counter-reactive ingredient. Just as Riker put in the roots, Ginny felt the vibes in the room change, and knew that she might be too late to keep the potion from exploding. She whirled around and threw the antidote across the room, where it landed in the potion, turning it a greyish color, making it unusable.

The other first-years stared at Ginny in amazement, and Snape too was shocked for an instant. Ginny crept back to her place beside her cauldron, preparing to throw out the ruined potion and begin again. Riker was furious, and glared at her.

Professor Snape stepped forward and looked at Ginny with his cold, black eyes. She stood watching him, unmoved as he walked up to her. She stood there, watching him as he blamed her for not realizing what was happening with the potion. He took points away from Gryffindor, making her smile again. He demanded to know what was so amusing, and she replied, "Nothing, professor. I was just smiling."

His scowl deepened, and he snarled, "Detention, Weasley!" and Ginny nodded. He drew his wand and pointed it at the cauldron and the ruined potion. "_Evanesco! Scurgify!_" He glared at her before returning to his desk.

"Professor," began Kefira (who was a little braver than the rest of her dorm mates, except Ginny), "Ginny saved the—"

Ginny looked quickly over at Kefira and held up her hand, giving the girl a sharp look. Kefira stopped speaking immediately, and disappeared behind her cauldron. When the other students looked at her, Ginny shrugged and busied herself in re-brewing the potion.

When class was dismissed, Riker bottled up the potion and Ginny cleaned out the cauldron before packing her supplies away into it. "I'll make you a deal," Ginny said to her potion partner. "You gather the ingredients, I'll make the potion, you bottle it up, and I'll pack up the supplies. That way, even if we insult each other the whole class period, we can still get something done. Deal?"

Riker looked wary. "That is very un-Gryffindor of you—in fact, it is very un-Weasley of you," said the Slytherin girl quietly.

Ginny shrugged. "How could it be un-Weasley of me?" she asked. "None of my brothers have ever had Slytherin potions partners, so I have no example before me. I'm not your stereotypical Gryffindor, Riker," Ginny replied calmly. "Deal, or no deal?"

"Deal. But out of class, watch your back." Riker left the room quickly.

"Will do," muttered Ginny, following the girl out of the room. _Thank you for your training, Tom._

Tom smiled to himself. _Well done, Ginny,_ he told her. _However, be on the lookout for trouble from her and her friends. She's going to try to get back at you for whatever it is she thinks you did._

Ginny laughed to herself as she walked down the dungeon halls, hurrying toward her next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. _Thanks for letting me know: I meant what I said to her about the hexes. You taught me them, you know._

Tom laughed inside Ginny's head. _Yes, I did, and I know you'll do those hexes justice._ He smiled, and contented himself with watching Lockhart make himself look like the idiot he was.

Karidia leaned over to Ginny during part of it, ignoring Lockhart's bragging. "Ginny, you stood up to Professor Snape so well! And you saved that horrible Riker girl!"

"Ah." Ginny shrugged. "She's not so bad. Not if you understand her. Anyway, it's all right now: she's going to come after me with some of her friends or something."

"How will their coming after you make everything all right?" asked Karidia. "Ginny, we're talking Slytherins here!"

Ginny nodded. "Karidia, I have known the Charleston twins (two of the Slytherin girls) since we were five years old. They are not bad, even if they are rather callous sometimes. Riker is a first-year, just like us. Do you really think that they can do anything really, really bad to me?"

Karidia shrugged, and Ginny added, "Besides, I know an extremely nasty hex that would make her face look like it had blistered, then been rubbed with sandpaper. Don't worry about her."

The girls giggled together, and Tom shook his head in amusement. "Girls," Lockhart interjected brightly, "are you paying attention?"

Ginny looked up with an adoring smile on her face and smoothly replied, "I'm sorry, Professor. I was telling my friend how the next chapter ends because I was excited for her to know!"

Lockhart smiled, and Ginny felt inwardly sick. "Ah, very good, Ms. Weasley. Then please tell us how it ends."

Alarmed, but not showing anything, Ginny stood, wondering what to do. She had no idea how it ended. Tom gave her an idea, and she took a deep breath and smiled, reaching her left hand into her pocket and picking up the piece of candy that she had taken from her brother's room.

Ginny quietly unwrapped it inside her pocket and put it in her mouth, pretending that she was wiping her hand across her face. She instantly felt sick (not the kind of sick Lockhart made her) and began, "Oh, well, I was very impressed with how you did it! When you—"

Her eyes became very wide, and she got very sick in the middle of the classroom. All the other students in the room, jumping away from her and screaming, "Ew! Gross!" Ginny clapped her hand over her mouth and dashed out of the room, running for the Hospital Wing without waiting for permission to leave the classroom.

* * *

Other than being very, very sick until Madam Pomfrey gave her the antidote to the piece of candy her brothers had made, Ginny was absolutely thrilled at leaving her D.A.D.A. class. She relaxed in the Hospital Wing for about two hours until she was released. Kefira and Karidia came and marched her up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Ginny, how did you do that?" Kefira gasped. "That was absolutely disgusting! I don't even think Lockhart knew how to deal with your 'issue'!"

Ginny laughed happily, but Karidia protested, "Oh, he was just surprised at Ginny because he's used to much greater things!"

With a sigh, the red-haired girl retorted, "He can't deal with something a first-year comes up with? Sorry excuse for a Hogwarts professor! Now, thank you for bringing me up here, you two, but I must ask you to leave me to my homework." Ginny's friends left, and Ginny settled into a chair and pulled out her books.

She noticed that Ron and his friends weren't there yet. Ginny smiled to herself for some reason. She was just finishing up her essay for Charms class when she looked up and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione come in. She saw that Hermione and Ron seemed to be annoyed with each other. Ginny decided to listen to Ron's mind to find out what the three of them were up to.

_Stupid girl,_ thought Ginny's brother to himself. _She spends way too much time in the library. She's going to end up with books coming out of her ears._ His mind kept on sputtering and Ginny let him go on sputtering.

Ginny realized that they weren't thinking about anything important, and left them alone. _This is just wrong,_ she thought to herself. _I can go into other peoples' minds; I can take things from my brothers and use them to fool Lockhart. I'm too good!_

Tom laughed. _Enjoy yourself, Ginny. But be good._

_I will,_ replied Ginny happily. _Thank you so much, Tom!_

* * *

Ginny went to her brothers, Fred and George, and told them about what she had done with the candy she had taken from their room in the Burrow (of course, she did not mention Tom or his cousin). They were very excited about the effect of their newest creation, but told Ginny to be very careful with the things that they had made, as not all of them had been tested.

"Yeah," said George. "We knew it would most likely make anyone who ate it sick."

"But," Fred continued, "we weren't sure how sick it would make them. Thanks for testing it for us, Gin. It saved us from forcing you to try it." The twins laughed together, and Ginny's mouth twisted into a smile. Fred gave her a strange look, and she realized that she must be copying the look she'd seen on Tom's face quite a few times.

Ginny gave her brothers her normal smile and replied, "If you have any other things that can keep me out of Lockhart's class, I would be fine with testing them as well."

They snorted in reply, and told Ginny that they would keep that in mind. "By the way, Ginny," said Fred, "you'd better get better rest: you look rather pale."

"Are you sure you aren't going to faint, Ginny?" asked George.

Ginny scowled, but replied, "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be perfectly all right! There is nothing wrong with me: I only feel a bit tired!"

The twins glanced at each other, and George told Ginny, "All right, but stay away from Percy: he'll march you down to the Hospital Wing as quick as anything if he sees you like that!"

Unfortunately, at that moment, Percy (who was a sixth year prefect at the time) came into the room to check on Fred and George. When he saw Ginny in the boys' dorm, he was shocked, then asked, "What are you doing in here, Ginny? Don't you know you're not a boy?"

Fred and George grinned at each other, and Fred defended Ginny: "How do we know she's not a boy? Mum could have just disguised her as a girl because she's always wanted one so badly!"

Percy shot Ginny a strange look, and Ginny felt like he was considering her as someone other than his sister! Finally, however, the look left his face and he said, "Well, get along, Ginny. Don't come back to the boys' dorm ever again, do you hear?"

_Don't you worry your big head,_ Ginny snapped at Percy in her mind. _I'll go wherever I please, including to the Chamber of Secrets! I'll come back here if I wish to!_

Percy saw the upset look on Ginny's face and noticed (almost at the same time) that she was pale, and seemed quite tired. "Ginny," he began, and the twins sighed in sarcastic exasperation. He shot them a dirty look, then continued, "come with me down to the Hospital Wing. You seem to be tired, and perhaps Madam Pomphrey's potion will keep you from becoming sick."

Ginny stared at her brother in extreme annoyance. Every part of her being rebelled against her brother, but Tom said to her, _Perhaps you should go just to passify him._ Breathing fury and embarressment at being led around like an animal on a leash, Ginny followed Percy angrily, not resisting her urge to slam the dormitory door.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, two of Harry and Ron's dorm mates stared at Percy and Ginny as they left Fred and George's dorm room. Ginny smirked to herself and held her head high as she passed them, knowing that they were shocked at her display of temper. _What do you expect from a red-haired Weasley?_ Ginny ridiculed them.

Tom laughed to himself, and Ginny sighed, still following her brother to the Hospital Wing. Percy chided her, "You shouldn't give in to your temper, Ginevra, especially in front of the other students here."

"Oh, shut up," Ginny replied irritantly. "I'm not the one who's trying for the Head Boy position next year, and you're just worried that if I misstep than you're finished. Just shut up. I don't care if I get sick! In fact, I was sick yesterday in Defense! So you're too late anyway!"

Percy did not turn aside, but colored violently, and Ginny knew she'd read her brother right.

* * *

Percy did force Ginny to take the potion, and she was so embarrassed about it that she hid in her dormitory room for the rest of the evening. Ginny's dorm mates, Kefira, Karidia, Maryanne, and Marlene, yanked open her bedcurtains to find her.

Ginny yelled at them, and they pointed at her, laughing. Yes, smoke was coming out of her ears: the potion caused that, and Ginny was hiding for that reason. Marlene and Maryanne pointed at her, calling her "fire-head" and other things. Ginny angrily drew her wand and blasted them away from her bed, causing them to end up on the floor, staring at her in disbelief.

She then turned her wand on their beds and turned their bedsheets from red and gold to green and silver, the colors of Slytherin House. They all shrieked in horror, and yelled at Ginny to turn them back, but she refused. Ginny's dorm mates went and got the seventh year Gryffindor girl prefect to come change the bedsheets back to their original colors.

The prefect told Ginny that she derserved to serve detention for such a naughty prank, and Ginny retorted that her brothers did things like that all the time. "Nothing is thought of what they do," she told the girl, "and it's not my fault that the bedsheets changed color. It might have had something to do with my mood, though. They [motioning to her dorm mates] were annoying me when I was trying to study in peace on my bed. I must finish my homework now, or I won't have time. Please allow me to continue studying."

The seventh year agreed, and Ginny shut her bedcurtains, fuming.

_Ginny,_ Tom said to her, _you don't have to be so furious with the prefect._

Ginny turned on him in her anger. _You shut up!_ she railed at him. _You taught me how to do that, and they were annoying me. The prefect was only an extension of their annoyance to me, so I had to deal with her as well._

_Do not speak to me that way, Ginevra,_ Tom said dangerously. _I want you to be a responsible witch, not one who abuses her powers._

Absolutely furious with Tom, Ginny blocked him out of her mind. Tom tried and tried, but he could not get back into her mind. Weak as he was, his cousin took him over, and did not leave him for a very long time.


	8. Attacking and Being Attacked

Ginny's heart hurt: she loved Tom very much, but did not want him to be angry about something that she had had to do! When she finally opened her mind to him, near the middle of October, she could not reach him. Evidently, he had closed his mind to her.

The eleven year old girl cried herself to sleep several nights in a row because she felt so miserable. Tom would not respond to her, even though she begged him to forgive her. She needed him badly: she was feeling confused and very tired almost nonstop, making it hard for her to get any studying done.

She was emotionally unstable, and her dorm mates now avoided her if at all possible. Ginny hid her feelings from her brothers and their friends, knowing that they'd be very suspicious if she acted abnormally. Tom had indeed taught her well.

_Oh, Tom!_ she whispered to him in her mind, _I need your help! I'm sorry that I got angry! Please answer me!_

But there was no answer, and Ginny once again buried her face in her pillows, sobbing heartbrokenly. She knew that Riker, the Slytherin girl, was still plotting against her, and that Ginny herself would soon have to defend herself alone against whatever Riker had managed to bring against her.

As Ginny wept on her bed, she decided that she desperately needed Tom. She very quietly listened to her dorm mates to make sure they were asleep; then she pulled out the little black journal and stroked its cover lovingly, tears blurring her vision. Pulling out a quill and her inkwell, Ginny gathered herself together and began to write.

_I'm sorry, Tom,_ she began. She bit her lip as she watched the words linger for a long moment, then sink into the page. Still, there was no answer, so Ginny continued, _I was wrong about what I said, and I'm very sorry. Please don't be angry any longer. Please, Tom._

The pages of the journal seemed to stir slightly and one word formed on the page. _Finally._

Ginny pressed her hands over her mouth and sobbed silently, feeling the disdain he expressed in that one word. Her tears dripped onto the journal, and two other words appeared. _Stop crying._

She struggled bravely to obey, but she was hurting more deeply than she ever had in her life. Her best friend had left her over some stupid arguement and now he was ordering her to be calm after he'd said very hurtful things to her! She succeeded in holding her tears back, and wrote with a shaky hand, _Will you forgive me, Tom?_

He was silent for a long time, and Ginny's eyes brimmed with tears once more, the girl thinking that he would never forgive her. Just as Ginny was about to break down and sob, words appeared. She caught her breath, and read, _Perhaps. From now on, you must allow me to take control of you whenever I wish, and never, ever fight me. You will obey every word I speak without question, or I will see to it that you suffer agony for it, Ginevra._

Ginny was horrified as she read Tom's words, and sat there as one stunned. She had never thought that he could be so cruel to her! Just then, the journal glowed red and burnt Ginny's hand, making her yelp in pain. She cradled her injured hand to her body, weeping with the pain, both in her hand, her head, and her heart.

She used her wand to cure the burn and numb the pain, but her skin still remained sensitive. Ginny picked up her quill and wrote, _Yes, Tom, I will obey—_and there, her writing became illegible because her hand was shaking so much.

He seemed to smirk, and Ginny suddenly got the feeling that he was entering her mind. Her whole body rebelled against it, but she forced herself to remain calm as she went numb with cold. "Let's test your obedience, Ginevra," he taunted her before he took control of her, forcing her mind into blackness.

* * *

Ginny's awareness came back just as she was sitting at the Gryffindor House table in the Great Hall. Her eyes went very wide as she realized what Tom had done to her, and that she had no idea what he had made her do!

The first year boys she just happened to be sitting with gave her strange looks, and one said, "It's just the Halloween Feast, Weasley. Don't you know that already?"

"Sorry," Ginny managed, "I'm just so tired from studying that I'm practically sleepwalking."

The two boys looked at each other over Ginny's head (how she hated being so short!) and the Ackerman boy, Stanley, replied, "Are you going to be like your brother Percy? Studious and—"

"—and stuck-up and pratty?" Ginny finished. "Absolutely not. Hey, do you two know where Ron and the other two are?"

The boys knew whom she was speaking of and nodded. "Creevey told us that they'd gone to some ghost party. I think they're crazy. I think Creevey should quit following Harry around: it's annoying to see such—such—"

"Undying devotion?" Ginny asked with a slight smirk. "I've noticed that, and something ought to be done about it. But I'm too busy with my classes."

At that moment, Ginny heard Tom whisper to her, _But I have ever so much time, and I can take care of him for you._

Ginny swallowed hard, but didn't reply. She still had no idea what Tom had already done to her!

* * *

Heading back up to the Gryffindor Common Room after the feast, the students marched up the Great Staircase. To Ginny's great shock, her brother, Harry, and Hermione were at the very top of it, standing under a message written on the walls.

"Oh snap!" Ginny heard Brianna say to Samantha. "Do you suppose that's blood?"

Samantha replied, "Of course it is!"

Ginny stared at the stiff cat that was hanging from a nail underneath the message. It was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat. The message read, "The Chamber has been opened. Enemies of the Heir beware."

Ginny watched in shock, almost feeling as if she wasn't there anymore. She would recognize Tom's handwriting anywhere. _Tom,_ she said to him, you_ did this, didn't you?_

Tom seemed slightly ashamed for a moment, then replied harshly, _No, Ginevra, you did it. And you are happy that you did it, because you hated that cat._

She heard Draco Malfoy slam the Mudbloods, and left the area very quickly, headed to her dorm room. Ginny collapsed onto her bed, sobbing into her pillow. How she wished that Tom would just leave her alone, and that her life could go back to what it had been before she'd met Tom.

_You don't want that,_ Tom told her. _I know you, Ginevra, and if I left you, you would pine away until you died. Now, you will meet me in the Chamber tomorrow night._

"Yes, Tom," Ginny sobbed aloud. Her dorm mates came into the room and she quieted almost instantly. The other girls were tittering to each other about the Heir of Slytherin. Knowing the whole truth about the Heir, Ginny blocked out the sounds of their ignorant conversation.

* * *

As she walked from class to class the next day, Ginny was cornered by Riker, Megan Sage (another first year Slytherin), Guinevere Rillian (Megan's friend), and three or four fourth and fifth years. They advanced on her, backing her into a corner. "We heard that you have been giving Riker a hard time in Potions," said one of the fourth years. "You stupid Gryffindors are never going to learn to behave yourselves around us."

Ginny's face turned red in fury, and she hissed at them, "I know how to act around all you! And I didn't give Riker a hard time: I offered her a deal and she accepted it. However, she tried to blow up my cauldron in my face, so I stopped her."

They began to insult Ginny, and she shouted, "Shut up! Or I'll hex you like I told Riker I would!" They laughed and Ginny drew her wand, pointing it directly at Rillian and shouting, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Rillian fell to the ground as stiff as a board, and Ginny giggled at the sight of the Slytherin girl lying immobile on the ground. "You just made a big mistake," Megan snarled, drawing her wand. "**Flipendo**_!_"

Ginny raised her wand and shouted, "**Expelliarmus**_!_" The spells stopped each other in mid-flight, and Ginny cried, "**Cantis**_!_"

The other students looked startled, but a peaceful expression crossed Megan's face, and she began to sing. When the older Slytherins finally took the jinx off of Megan, she glared at Ginny, and hissed, "That's it! **Stupefy**_!_"

Ginny blocked the spell with a practiced wand movement and the fourth and fifth years looked shocked. "**Deprimo**_!_" Ginny shouted. The others stared as a hurricane-force wind blew from the tip of Ginny's wand and blew Megan away down the corridor.

They closed in on Ginny, and she raised her wand, yelling at her various opponents, "**Mucus ad Nauseam**_! _**Incarcerous**_! _**Stupefy**_! _**Incendio**_!_"

One caught a cold, another was tied up, a third turned a complete backflip and landed unconscious on the floor, and the fourth busied himself in trying to put out the flames that were licking at his robe. Riker glared at Ginny, still furious. Only she and the fire-robed student stood against the Gryffindor girl.

"Weasley," said Riker sweetly, "you deserve nothing but the worst. I'm going to fix you so that no boy will ever look at you! **Furnunculus**_!_"

Ginny blocked it in an almost bored manner, and simply said, "**Colloshoo**_! _**Aurem pervellum**_!_" Riker yelped and clapped her hand over her twitching ears, her feet stuck to the floor. Laughing at the Slytherin girl, Ginny did not notice the fire-robed Slytherin point his wand and her and only turned when she heard him take a deep breath.

"**Silencio**!" snapped the boy in a controlled voice. The instant it hit Ginny, her voice was gone, and she stood in front of him, her wand still ready.

_It will obey you if you ask it,_ Tom told her as the Slytherin boy moved toward Ginny carefully, _but I will not help you with this fight._

Infuriated, Ginny scowled at the Slytherin boy. He smiled and said, "Now, Weasley, give me your wand: it's all over for you!"

Ginny, her voice still gone, raised her upper lip and snarled at him, saying to him without words, "Never!" As the boy moved to disarm, then stupefy Ginny, a deep-seated anger rose in her and she stored up that power in her chest, letting it grow and grow and grow, until she let it out through her wand. The boy realized what the first year Gryffindor had just done a split second before the spell hit him, blasting him down the corridor, unconscious.

Riker stared between Ginny and the fifteen year old Slytherin boy before gasping, "Let me go! I'll leave you alone except to save face! Just let me go!"

Ginny nodded and released the Slytherin girl's bonds. "Sorry," she said, having got her voice back. "I get jumpy when I'm around a lot of armed and angry Slytherins." Riker seemed to smile wryly as she looked around at her friends and allies lying on the ground.

With a sigh, Ginny released Rillian from her Body-Bind Curse and renervated Megan and the other girl she had stupefied. Ginny could not get the boy she had used the non-verbal Stunning Spell on to wake up. She bit her lip and looked a bit sheepish, but moved on to the one she'd tied up and released his bonds.

"Where's the one I gave the cold to?" Ginny asked the Slytherins. They told her that he had gone to get assistance for stopping his cold. Ginny knew that it was nasty if not treated. "Ah," Ginny smiled. "Smart boy."

"Weasley," said Megan, "where did you learn to block like that?"

Riker nodded and added, "And how did you do that non-verbal spell when you're only a first year?"

Ginny smiled slightly. "The non-verbal Stunning Spell came by feel, I guess. I just knew I could do it: in the blood, you know," she giggled, and the Slytherins around all smiled slightly. "The blocking I had to learn from books and by practice. I have six brothers, and the twins love to try out their new pranks on me, so I have to know how to block some things!"

She nodded at the Slytherins and thanked them for the exercise, telling them that if they needed assistance against anyone to let her know. Ginny hurried off, leaving seven very confused Slytherins in her wake (the one was still unconscious).


	9. Fear, Shame, and Deceit

Ginny headed to the Chamber, feeling very afraid. The whole school was up in arms over the message and the cat. Evidently it hadn't been killed, only petrified. Ginny wondered how it could be only petrified: she had no idea what could even do that!

She opened the Chamber, and Myrtle suddenly came out of one of the stalls. "What are you doing?" Myrtle asked curiously, and Ginny quickly turned to face the ghost.

"I'm going to try and repair the sink," Ginny lied. _Stupid ghost!_ "I'll be going now." Ginny jumped down into the pipe and the Chamber closed, leaving Myrtle there with an incredulous expression on her face.

"Repair?" Ginny heard the ghost say. "But no one..."

_She is incredibly stupid,_ Ginny thought to herself, picking herself up off the Chamber floor. She hurried to the main room of the Chamber and found that Tom was not there yet. "Tom?" Ginny whispered aloud.

Ginny was still not as familiar with the Chamber as Tom wanted her to be, and she was very uncomfortable to be there without him. She sighed and walked into a side room, sitting down on the bed and pulling out the journal. _Tom,_ she wrote, _I'm in the Chamber of Secrets._

_Excellant,_ he replied. _Go to the main room._

She rose and hurried into the other room, sitting down on the floor. She lay the journal on the floor and prepared to write in it, but before she could, she saw a thin mist come out of it, and watched as Tom rose from the journal.

Ginny stared at him, and he smirked at her, coming to stand beside her. "Surprised, Ginevra?" he asked carelessly. "You should have known that I would come from the journal if I was to be here in the Chamber."

She nodded and looked down, waiting for his orders. Suddenly, she asked, "Tom, why are you doing this? I know you're the Heir, but I didn't think that you'd actually end up like your cousin!"

He knew that she expected him to be angry with her, but he simply replied, "Voldemort and I are alike and different, Ginevra. He never would have been such a fool, trusting a Gryffindor girl as a close friend!"

Hurt enclosed Ginny's heart, and she bowed her head, tears stinging her eyes. She struggled not to cry, for she knew Tom would only ridicule her and tell her to grow up, or something as harsh. "Tom," she whispered finally, "you hate me now, don't you?"

Tom smiled slightly. "I never hate a useful person. It's when a person loses their usefulness that I cease to 'need' them."

His words made Ginny shiver, and she asked timidly, "What did you want me to do here tonight?"

"Ah," he began, and moved closer to her. She felt the cold radiating from his body and wrapped her arms around herself as he put his arm around her shoulders. "I only wanted your company, Ginevra. You're such an interesting child."

She sighed sadly, then allowed Tom to guide her to one of the side rooms. He made her sit down, and stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "Such beautiful red hair, Ginevra," he said, running his long fingers through her hair.

Ginny silently let Tom play with her fiery locks. When he finally let her go, she fled from the Chamber as quickly as she could.

* * *

A couple days later was the first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Ginny would have enjoyed watching Harry fly, except for a few things. Colin Creavey would not shut up about how to play Quidditch, she was unsure of her House loyalty, and—the number one reason—there was a rogue bludger on Harry's tail nearly the whole time!

Tom taunted her about Harry for a while during the game, then decided to enter Ginny's mind and watch it first hand. He did not, however, take control of her: she still gaped in horror as the bludger broke Harry's arm, then tried to kill him. Hermione Granger finished off the bludger very quickly; then she and Ron knelt beside Harry.

Ginny was glad that Harry had caught the snitch, but when Lockhart moved to help him, she groaned and watched as the stupid professor accidentally removed the bones in Harry's arm! She then noticed that Colin had his camera out and was taking pictures of Harry in pain.

"Colin," she snapped quietly into his ear, "the last thing he'd want you to do is to take pictures of him when he feels so horrible!"

Colin turned to her in surprise: it had never dawned on him that Harry might actually need some privacy, and the brown-haired boy still didn't get it at all. "Then what should I do?" Colin asked. "I really wanted to show him the pictures of himself flying!"

A sneaky thought crept into Ginny's mind and she replied, "Tonight, at around midnight, take him some food from the Great Hall. You can show him your pictures then."

"Do you think he'll like that?" Colin asked eagerly.

Ginny smiled slyly. "Yes."

"Thanks, Ginny, you're a good friend!" he exclaimed before hurrying away.

She laughed to herself inwardly. _Oh, Creavey,_ she sighed, _if only you really knew what Harry would really think of what I just told you to do! He's going to be so upset!_ She giggled out loud, and the Charleston twins looked over at her and winked. Ginny smiled back, and hurried off to her dorm room.

Once she was there, lying in her bed with the curtains drawn, Tom began to speak to her. "I am going to take control of you tonight, Ginevra. How will you act?"

A strong feeling of terror swept over her, but she replied, "I will obey, Tom."

"Excellant," he said. "Good girl."

Ginny held back all her emotions and endeavored to calm herself so that she would be ready when Tom wished to take her. At 11:30 that night, he finally entered her mind. She became very cold all over again, and Tom forced her mind to recede, although he did not completely shut her awareness down.

He made her get out of her bed and ready herself to leave her room. They proceeded down to the Chamber, Tom feeling Ginny's mind wondering what he was up to. He made her smile to himself, and quickly opened the Chamber, hurrying down the pipe and into the main room.

Tom felt Ginny's horror when he summoned the basilisk and told it to come with him. Tom knew that Ginny was tender-hearted, but wanted her to get over her "weakness." Benjy slithered ahead of them through the pipes, and Ginny was horrified, half-realizing what was most likely going to happen!

She hesitated for an instant, and Tom reminded her, "You told me you would obey, Ginevra." Her mind screamed, "I won't!" but Ginny walked on, following Tom's orders. "Excellant," he said to her soothingly. "That's it, Ginny."

After a few minutes, Benjy stopped in front of them and waited for them to open the vent in the wall so that they could go into the hall. To Ginny's surprise, when they came out of the system of pipes, she found herself at the bottom of the Hospital Wing steps. "Tom," began Ginny worriedly, but he shushed her.

"Hush! Someone's coming!" Tom ordered her, and she fell silently, worrying very much about who it was, and what would happen to them. Ginny watched helplessly as Tom told the basilisk to go after the person coming.

Benjy slithered forward as a brown-haired boy came around the corner, holding a camera. Ginny gasped in shock, and Tom angrily pushed her mind even further away. She begged Tom to leave Colin alone, but Tom coldly watched the other boy and the basilisk.

Colin gasped as he saw the huge serpant, then lifted his camera to take a picture. Upon doing so, he looked into the basilisk's eyes and toppled to the ground, petrified just like the cat had been.

Ginny's mind revolted against what she had just seen, but Tom forced her to step forward and kneel by the petrified boy. _See, Ginevra,_ he told her,_ it's not so bad. He's fine, just petrified. I'd say that he's very, very lucky that he brought this contraption with him._ Tom lifted Colin's camera and examined it. _Do you know what this is, Ginny?_

But Ginny wasn't listening to Tom anymore, she was crying inside herself for Colin. Tom scowled in annoyance and searched through Ginny's mind to find the answer to his question. _Ginevra, don't cry for him. He's a Mudblood who is quite annoying: he's not worth it._

Tom checked the film in the camera, but found that the basilisk's eyes had melted it, making it unusable. "Well done, Benjy," he hissed to the basilisk in Ginny's voice.

Benjy nodded, pleased with himself, but remarked, "I hate petrified students. I can't eat them! Now if I killed them, I could eat them."

Tom made Ginny stare at Benjy in horror for a second, then shrug hesitantly. They opened the vent in the wall, and Benjy left them quickly. Tom made Ginny go into the system of pipes and head back toward the Chamber. Ginny's grief was so great that she could barely walk, even though Tom had control of her.

Tom was very angry that Ginny could still control herself like she was, and that she fought him so much, even unconsciously. He forced her into a side room of the Chamber and left her there, standing beside the bed. When he left her mind, she collapsed onto the bed and sobbed heartbrokenly for Colin, even though she didn't like him at all.

* * *

Tom (the real one) woke out of blackness and found himself in the main room of the Chamber of Secrets. He could not remember anything that had happened to him since he'd seen Benjy petrify Filch's cat. _Ginny gave in to Voldemort,_ Tom remembered, thinking about how the journal had burned her. _I must warn her about how scalding the journal gets when Voldemort and I are fighting._

He turned, feeling another presence in the Chamber. He saw no one, and realized that Ginny must be in one of the side rooms. Tom explored their mind connection, and found that Ginny was sobbing in terror because she'd felt him enter her mind just then. Tom quickly left her mind, having already found which side room she was in.

Walking to where she was, Tom thought angrily to himself, _Voldemort's been possessing her and making her think I'm doing it! I don't even know how to stop him now, or how to help Ginny at all!_

Tom entered the room and stopped in the doorway. Ginny was curled up in a tight ball on the bed and was sobbing heartbrokenly into the pillow. When she saw Tom, she cringed away from him and pulled herself over to the front right bedpost, leaning her face against it for support. "Don't—don't hurt me!" she begged. "I'm only trying to accept—oh, please, Tom!"

Ginny watched him in fear as he stood there quietly, waiting for her to calm. As her tears slowed, he walked closer to her and sat down on the bed, away from her. "Tom," she whispered, "I wasn't—"

"It's all right," Tom replied gently. "If you're upset, there must be a good reason."

She stared at him for an instant, then whispered, "Please, Tom, please don't make me petrify anyone else. Please! You can take control of me as much as you want but please don't make me hurt anyone else!"

Tom sighed slightly. "Dear Ginny," he said to her, "I'm sorry [and her face became terrified once more] but I cannot control what my cousin does to you through me."

Ginny gasped in horror, "What?!"

"Ginny," he said sorrowfully, "I have not been myself since I argued with you about that stupid Gryffindor prefect."

Fearfully, she asked, "How—how can I believe you, Tom? This is, what, the third time this has happened?"

"The third time he's hurt you through me?" Tom said with a touch of anger. "Ginny, the difference between him and me is that I don't want to hurt you, or want you to be hurt! I—I care for you, Ginny, more than I've ever cared about anyone in my whole life."

He sighed, and she looked over at him very timidly. She slowly reached over and slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. "I don't like having my trust broken," she told him very quietly, "even if you're not the one doing it."

Tom nodded in understanding and squeezed Ginny's hand gently. "Please believe in me, Ginny," he asked her.

Sudden terror seized Ginny as she remembered what had happened to her. She yanked her hand away from Tom and gasped, "I can't! I can't trust you! I don't want to be hurt." She sobbed, then turned away from Tom and threw herself down on the bed again.

Frustration ran through Tom, and he put his hand on Ginny's back. "I'm sorry, Ginevra," he whispered, hiding his hurt. "If you want, I'll take you to your dorm room."

Ginny sat up again, trying to stop her tears. "Tom, no, I can't—" she began, but he stopped her, standing up and holding out his hand to her.

"Come, Ginny," he said, but she scooted away from him on the bed, her face pale. With a sigh, Tom stepped forward and took Ginny by her arms, lifting her off the bed.

She screamed, "No, please!" and Tom stopped, looking her in the eyes.

"Then come with me on your own," he said quietly. "The Chamber is not safe as long as my cousin is running wild in it. I don't want you down here without me."

Ginny sobbed, "But you're not—I mean, he's not—I mean—oh, Tom! I'm so confused! Please help me!"

Tom drew Ginny into his arms, and held her gently as she sobbed into his robe. "Ginny, he began very seriously, "as my cousin gets stronger, he will ultimately be able to leave the journal on his own. Therefore, you must not come down here on your own. I know you're confused, and it's normal for someone who has been possessed several times."

"Tom, I don't want to meet your cousin," Ginny whimpered. "I don't like him much already, and I'm supposed to obey him!"

"Then let's go, Ginny," Tom said, and Ginny walked with him, sometimes stumbling. "I'm sorry that I've done all this to you. My cousin will not stop possessing you now that he has you doing what he wants."

Ginny held back her tears of terror and asked, "What is it that he wants, Tom?"

With a sigh, Tom answered, "He wants to return to the world and take it over, Ginny. Of course, that also goes with his wanting to live forever, and his blood supremacy views, and—"

"But how will I help with all that?" Ginny pursued the issue. "I don't understand how I can help with world-cleansing or world-domination!"

Tom smiled at Ginny's big words and replied, "Right now, you're helping him cleanse the school. Of course, another objective of his is to get rid of Potter."

Ginny stared at Tom in shock. "Why?"

"'Why' she says," Tom muttered to himself, and Ginny snapped, "I was only curious! Why is it that he tried to destroy Harry in the first place?"

"A prophecy," Tom finally told her. "It's says that a child born in the seventh month would be Voldemort's equal. Harry fulfilled that prophecy—well, he was one of them. The prophecy also mentioned that Voldemort would choose his equal, for there were two that could have fulfilled the prophecy."

Surprised, Ginny asked, "Who was the other?"

Tom stopped suddenly, and Ginny stopped as well. They heard footsteps coming down the hall, and Tom grabbed Ginny and stepped through a tapestrey, hiding in a passageway Ginny hadn't even known existed. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore walked past, murmuring about the "poor Gryffindor boy."

Ginny sniffed, and Tom wrapped his arms around her gently. "It's all right," he whispered. "Whatever he did, it's not your fault."

"But it is," Ginny wept softly. "I was aware, I saw everything that happened to Creavey, and I didn't do anything. I didn't try to stop him."

"Ginny, listen to me very carefully," Tom said, kneeling down in front of her and cupping her face in his hands. "Thisisnotyourfault!"

"Okay," she whispered finally. "Thank you, Tom."

He stood and led her down through the passage. "This will bring us closer to your Common Room much quicker. And anyway, to finish our earlier conversation, if Harry is destroyed, then my cousin has a pretty easy rise to power." Tom snorted in disgust.

"Tom, we have to do something," Ginny cried. "We can't let Voldemort destroy Harry!" A strange look crossed her face when she realized she'd said "Voldemort," but she recovered quickly. "Tom, what can we do?"

Tom sighed. "Ginny, I don't think there's anything we can do. I'll never destroy Benjy simply to save Potter," he said.

Ginny nodded. "And I won't destroy the journal for Potter, either." She looked up at Tom quizzically. "Can the journal be destroyed?"

"I don't know," Tom said. "It can't be torn or burnt. Too many protective enchantments, I suppose. I never paid much attention to Dark Arts class."

"Tom, there isn't such a thing," Ginny scolded him.

Tom laughed dryly. "Exactly. I never really studied the Dark Arts, but everything I learned about them comes from watching my cousin teach them to Bellatrix Black."

"So I'm stuck obeying Voldemort forever?" Ginny asked fearfully. "Tom, will I become a Death Eater? Father would kill me!"

"No, you won't," Tom sighed. _I'm afraid Voldemort has other plans for you, sweet Ginevra._ Tom quietly stopped Ginny in the corridor before the Gryffindor Common Room entrance. "Ginny, I think that our best plan is to listen to my cousin, and do what he says."

Ginny hugged Tom. "I suppose I have to," she sighed dejectedly. "Thank you for trying to help me. Goodbye, Tom. I'll be around...petrifying Mudbloods...!" Tom smiled, and Ginny hurried off to the Common Room, heading to her dormitory.

* * *

_Riddle_, Tom thought to himself, _you should tell her that Voldemort's big plan is to kill her so he can be revived!_

Tom sighed to himself, knowing that he'd never tell Ginny of something so horrible: she would probably be inconsolable, and he did not want to deal with that. _I don't want to lose her, but there's not a cursed thing I can do for her!_


	10. Legilimency and Occlumency

In her next Potions class, Ginny tried to pretend she wasn't there, irritating the Slytherin girl. Riker asked Ginny, "Did you hear about Creavey? He was found on the Hospital Wing steps, petrified!"

Ginny tried not to smile. "Yes, I heard." _I was there, you dumbchuck!_ "And I think that although the reason he was attacked may not be the best, I'm glad, for the time being, that he's immobilized."

Riker stared at Ginny for an instant, then demanded, "Why do you always come up with strange answers to my inquiries? With your family background, you should be horrified about these attacks on the Mudbloods!" Riker smirked, expecting to get a reaction out of Ginny, if it be only a slight one.

"Well," said Ginny, tilting her head thoughtfully as she chopped up the root for their potion, "I've had it with my family telling me what to do at home. I promised myself that I'd be myself from the time I began school onward: hence the deal between us, and the random fight I had with Percy, and the fiasco in Defense I had when I pretended to be sick."

"But what about Creavey?" persisted Riker.

Ginny laughed quietly. "I did forget to mention that, didn't I? Well, when it comes to the Mudbloods, I'd much rather they leave me alone. I never appreciated Creavey," answered the redhead, "and Granger—that's my brother's friend—really, really annoyed me on the train. She tried to be my big sister, or something. It wasn't appreciated."

Riker smiled. "So, you rather approve of what the Heir is doing?"

_The Heir's not doing it,_ sing-songed Ginny's thoughts. "Well, not exactly. Mudbloods are always going to be around, I think," Ginny reasoned. "I just want them to leave me alone and stay out of my family."

"So you are for 'peaceful coexistance,' aren't you?" Riker sneered. "I should have known!"

"Not at all, Riker," Ginny retorted. "I'd hex any of them as soon as I'd hex you, and maybe sooner! If they don't leave me alone, then I will show them how to respect a redhead! But, I am a supremist, not an extremist—well, at least not yet."

Riker smiled again. "I'm proud to be a Slytherin," she told Ginny. "I'm in the same House as the Heir!"

Ginny smirked. "Certainly the Heir of Slytherin would not be in any other house," she told Riker. "And—" Ginny looked wistful "I sometimes wish I'd been a Slytherin. But no. I have to be a Gryffindor, just like the rest of my family. The Hat told me that I could have been a Slytherin."

Riker gasped in amazement. "You, Weasley, a Slytherin?" Ginny nodded sadly and sighed. "That's—ridiculous!"

Ginny's head shot up and she hissed, "I could have been, Riker. I could have been one of your dorm mates!" She looked over at one of the other tables. Accidentally catching Snape's eye, she hurriedly went back to her work and went on, "I would have been so happy in Slytherin, even proud of the Heir, like you are. The Heir is amazing!"

"You, Weasley, are unbelievable," Riker stated flatly. "'Happy in Slytherin,' she says. I can't believe what I just heard you say!"

"But you must believe the Sorting Hat," Ginny responded. "And if you need more confirmation, then ask the Charleston twins. I've known them since we were five, and they know how I feel, and how I've struggled with my House loyalty."

Riker scowled. "Those Slytherin twins? They are quite irritating, and none of the other girls in our dorm can put up with them," she told Ginny. "And if you need a House loyalty, your loyalty would always be welcome in Slytherin, especially if it's true about the Charlestons. Imagine the stir a Weasley loyal to Slytherin would cause!"

Ginny smiled. "Thanks."

"But Slytherins do not say, 'Thanks,'" Riker scolded.

With a shrug, Ginny explained, "I've grown up in a home of Gryffindors, and now I'm stuck in a House of Gryffindors. I'm going to have some kind of a hang-over from what I've been taught all my life!"

The girls laughed together, and Ginny looked rather awkwardly at Riker, who grinned. "I know: your 'hang-over' extends to believing Slytherin are evil. And believing that you should avoid our company."

"Can't," said Ginny. "I'm stuck with you."

They laughed again, and Snape shushed them, frowning at Ginny. Ginny scowled at Snape, but looked down, knowing that if she concentrated on him too much, she'd accidentally-on-purpose chuck some of her chopped roots at him.

Ginny felt someone tug at the door of her mind, and went pale, accidentally dropping her knife on the floor, making it clatter. Riker stared at her, wondering what on earth. Suddenly, Ginny realized that it was Professor Snape! She struggled to gather her thoughts and block him out.

Everyone in the room stared at her, and she felt Snape's surprise at her detection of his Legilimency. He left her alone, and she straightened up in her chair, still pale, and shaking a little. Riker bent down and picked up the knife, handing it to Ginny.

Riker received looks of scorn from the other Slytherins, and Ginny looked up and fixed them with a solid glare, especially Sage and Rillian. Riker scowled at the boys, and they smirked at her.

Snape said, "Proceed," to everyone, then stepped up to Ginny and Riker. Ginny looked up at him, trying to hide her worry. "I'll see you after class, Weasley," he said quietly.

Ginny nodded, and Snape moved away. Riker looked at Ginny. "I didn't mean for him to hear," Riker told Ginny. The red-haired girl smiled at the Slytherin apology. "What happened?"

"He—he tried to read my mind," Ginny whispered, barely audible. "I hate when people try to do that! I hate it, and I don't allow it when I can help it. I don't know what's going to happen to me after class! Would you—would you wait for me after class?"

Riker looked disgusted, then grinned. "I must have a hang-over too," she said. "Mistrusting all Gryffindors. Yes, I'll wait. But only for so long."

Ginny grinned back. "I'm grateful." That was her improvement on "Thanks."

* * *

When Ginny went up to Snape after class, he looked at her carefully, a look of condescention on his face. "How," he asked her very particularly, "did you know."

"Know what?" she answered, not wanting to make it easy for him.

"Don't make this difficult," he snapped at her. "I know what you said to Riker about being a Slytherin."

Ginny was horrified, but hid it. "You did not," she retorted. "You were only able to reveal that much of my memory to you before I blocked you."

Snape was exceedingly annoyed. "How did you know?" he asked her again impatiently.

"I—I just felt it," she stammered. "I don't know how I detected it: I just did! I don't like people looking through my memories, my thoughts, my feelings. They're mine, and not anyone else's." _Especially yours,_ she snapped at him in her mind. "I—I have projected thoughts into someone else's mind by accident: I don't know if that has anything to do with this or not, though."

Snape really wanted to know why Ginny and Riker had been laughing together. Gryffindor girls and Slytherin girls generally did not get along, and he wished to know what the common ground between them had been. Now it seemed he would not get an answer—and he would never ask Weasley for the answer!

"You seem very developed in Occlumency, Weasley," he told her, "but you have a long way to go."

"I stopped you," Ginny retorted, then clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

Snape seemed to almost smile, then scowled. "Have you ever practiced Legilimency?" he demanded.

Ginny realized she needed to be extremely careful with what she told Snape. "Only on my brother," she said finally. "He's quite—unguarded."

"I suggest you never use it on any of the staff," Snape ordered her, "or any practiced adult."

Ginny's face fell, and she said, "Oh." When Snape frowned more deeply at her, she quickly asked, "Ah, what about thought projection?"

Snape scowled. "Guilty of using it on an adult, Weasley?" he sneered at her.

"Yes," Ginny answered. "On—Lucius Malfoy." Snape stared at her, and Ginny quickly added, "But it was an accident."

"I'm sure it was," Snape answered. "You Weasleys are always accidentally doing something."

Ginny smiled slightly, and Snape said, "Thought projection is manipulative, and is very nearly illegal, Weasley."

She nodded, and answered, "It was only a derisive comment, and I didnot intend for him to hear it!" _That's why he gave me the journal!_

_No kidding, Ginevra,_ Tom said. _Snape's acting differently to you. You must have impressed him slightly. Never mention that to him, though._

_Ha! As if a Gryffindor, a Weasley especially, could impress Severus Snape!_

Tom smiled to himself. _You did._

Snape snapped, "It doesn't matter what it was! You should know better than to do it to Lucius Malfoy!"

Ginny nodded. "I won't do it again," she said. _He's already working on making my life miserable anyway._

"Remember what I told you about Legilimency and Occlumency. There are precautions you must take to keep it a secret," he warned her. "If you have anything happen that you do not understand, you may come to me about it. Now get out."

Ginny nodded to him again, then hurried out of the room.

* * *

Once outside the room, she shut the door and leaned against the wall. She smiled at the three girls there: the Charleston twins had stayed as well. "Hi, girls," she said. "Thanks for staying, Riker."

Riker nodded. "When the Charleston twins saw me here, they thought I was going to cause trouble for you when you came out, so they stopped. After I convinced them you'd asked me to stay, I told them what had happened, and they stayed too," Riker explained. "So what happened?"

"I'm an Occlumens," she sighed, "and I guess I just gave it away to Professor Snape. He warned me about that, and thought projection." She did not tell them about her Legilimency.

Brianna looked shocked. "Can you project thoughts?" she gasped.

Ginny smiled, and said to the three of them, _I wonder if Snape can stand on his head and recite the Killing Curse backwards._

They all burst into giggles, and Ginny giggled, "Let's go, girls. We must hurry now, or we'll be late." They hurried off together.


	11. Slytherin and Ravenclaw Cousins?

One night, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Ginny accidentally ran into Percy again. "You still look pale, Ginny," he said. "You should come with me down to the Hospital Wing."

Ginny refused, and Percy sighed in exasperation, taking her by the arm. "No!" shouted Ginny, "I won't go!"

"Yes, you will," he snapped at her. "You're still sickly looking. Stop struggling! You don't want me to write home to Mother, do you?"

Annoyed and angry, Ginny yelled, "I don't care! Mother will be pleased to know that you can't even control your sister!"

Most of the students in the Common Room laughed, and Percy's ears turned red. Ginny laughed at her brother, and he shoved her out the portrait hole, pushing her ahead of him down the hall.

Suddenly, Ginny was angry. She'd been controlled by Voldemort, annoyed by Snape, and attacked by several Slytherin students. She was not about to be bullied by her own brother! She stopped, and would not go a step further.

"Come on, Ginny," he ordered her. She shook her head vehemently, and Percy dragged her on. Ginny dragged her heels, and to her embarrassment, he picked her up and carried her! "No!" she yelped, "I'll walk, I will!"

Of course, the minute he set her down, she ran off toward the Common Room. Unfortunately for Ginny, Percy was a lot faster, although he doesn't look fast. He grabbed her arm again and snapped, "You lied, Ginevra! I won't let you get away again. You will come with me!"

"No!" Ginny screamed at him, angry that her ploy hadn't gotten her the escape she wanted. "I won't go with you! I won't!" To Percy's shock, she drew her wand. He laughed at her, underestimating her knowledge. She blasted his hand away from her arm, and, too late, he moved to block her Disarming Charm. "**Expelliarmus**_!_" Her charm a bit stronger than needed, Percy flew away down the corridor, and Ginny escaped up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

When she entered, several students looked up, and one asked, "How did you get away from him?"

Ginny laughed. "Oh," she giggled, "he underestimated a first year." The students listening to her laughed into their textbooks. Ginny hurried up to her dormitory room, knowing that Percy could not follow her up there. _Well, he's not going to be waking for a little while anyway,_ she thought to herself in amusement. She undressed, tucked herself into bed, and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning in the first year Slytherin girls' dorm, Riker asked Brianna and Samantha, "Is Ginny Weasley always so thoughtful about what she says?" They nodded, and Riker frowned. "It's highly unusual for a Gryffindor to be so much like us," she told them.

"Completely agreed," answered Samantha, and Brianna added, "Ginny has always been independantly minded, but she rarely showed it at home. Here, she wants freedom from the conformity she endured."

"So, why is she so much like us?" Riker questioned.

Brianna shrugged. "She's always been like Samantha and I: as you know, the Sorting Hat told her she could be a Slytherin," said the older twin.

Samantha nodded. "At heart, she's not a Gryffindor," Samantha told Riker. "And she's really, really strange for a couple other reasons. Her mother allowed her to begin playing with us when we were quite young, but it was at five years old when we became friends."

"Strangely enough," Brianna reported, "Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to really want us playing with her daughter, but there was something that always made her let us. Our Mum and Dad told Samantha and me that we should always respect Ginny and honour her. We have, and Ginny is a good friend to us: she would even resemble us slightly if she didn't have such Weasley hair!"

The three girls laughed together. "Is Ginny trustworthy?" Riker wondered. "Not that she needs to be, but—"

"Yes," Brianna interrupted. "Although she's a Slytherin at heart most of the time, she will keep your darkest secrets. She has never told our parents about the time we smashed our mother's cauldron. We blamed it on Ginny, and she took the blame so well that Mum and Dad let her off scot-free. If we'd been caught, they would've whacked us with their broomsticks!"

Riker smiled finally. "Good. Because I don't want to be her enemy, but I'd rather not be her friend either," she sighed. "It'll be great if we can get along with no one else's knowing."

A red-haired girl got out of bed and asked, "Who's knowing what?"

"That the Weasley girl is trustworthy, Sage," replied Samantha. "Ginny is very supportive of the Heir's petrifying Creavey; she duels well; and she has absolutely amazing powers!"

Sage frowned. "And why are we speaking about this?"

"Because they think Ginevra Weasley is like us," Guinevere sighed in annoyance.

"She is!" Brianna exclaimed. "We should have a sleep-over here in our dormitory room, and invite Ginny! You can get to know her better, and she'd love the chance to meet some really awesome Slytherins!"

Megan grinned. "We're the best of the best!"

"Don't we know that," laughed Guage (that's Guinevere's nickname), and the other girls agreed. They planned for Riker to tell Ginny about the sleep-over and ask her about a proper time for it in their next potions class.

* * *

During the next week, Ginny was very careful about what she said to Tom. She wasn't exactly sure what to do about their dilemma, but decided that it wasn't Tom's fault, and that she would trust his judgement.

When she went to the Chamber with him, he told her with a smile, "Do you remember those two rooms I told you about?" Ginny nodded, and he continued, "Well, I'm going to show you one of them tonight. Follow me."

Tom turned and walked away, and Ginny hurried to walk beside him. Upon entering the room, Ginny looked around carefully. It was not very light in the room: the walls were light blue, but with the dim light, they looked almost black!

"Tom, what does it do?" Ginny asked, walking into the middle of the room and turning around.

Tom smiled. "The room keeps track of the bloodlines of all the people that have ever existed," he told her. He straightened, turned to the wall, and said solemnly, "Tom Riddle."

The walls flashed a bright white, then settled into green, with silver names and lines. Tom nodded at the walls surrounding them. "That's my bloodline."

Ginny read some of the names and smiled. "Salazar Slytherin." She turned and threw her arms around Tom, hugging him to herself. He seemed uneasy to Ginny, and she looked up. "Is something wrong?" she asked him.

"N-no," Tom said finally. "I'm just surprised that you still trust me that much, Ginny."

"Tom, you're my best friend," Ginny told him. "I couldn't mistrust you! You're so special to me." She hugged him gently, and he returned her hug. She looked up into his eyes and requested, "Can we do my bloodline, Tom?"

Tom smiled a little. "It's 'May I,' Ginny, and yes, you may," he told her. "Just tell the room your name and it will come up with your bloodline."

Ginny looked at the wall carefully and said, "Ginevra Weasley."

The wall flashed white, then a sickly shade of yellow. Tom frowned as the room whispered, "There is no such person."

"I mean my bloodline," Ginny explained, feeling rather odd for speaking to a wall. _How can there be no such person as me,_ she wondered. Somehow, she detected that the wall was a bit happy to tell her that she didn't exist.

Suddenly, the wall turned to the same dark green Tom's had been, and silver names and lines began scripting onto the wall. Ginny stared at her parents' names. "Meretta Parkinson and Reginald Parkington?" she gasped. "Who are they? They're not my parents! Arthur and Molly Weasley are my parents!"

Tom stared at the wall. "That's amazing," he said. "I've never seen it do anything like that!"

"It is as I have said," the wall told them. What it really meant was, "Deal with it!"

"Tom," gasped Ginny, "it says I'm related to Pansy Parkinson as well as the Charleston twins! This can't be! What's going on?"

The dark-haired boy looked thoughtful. "Let's go into the other room and see what information we can find out about these two that were called your parents," he told her. "I don't think this room lies."

"I might," the room laughed at them. "I am part of the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Ha," Tom retorted, leading Ginny out of the room.

They entered the other room, and Tom said, "Meretta Parkinson."

The room hurriedly scrolled through so many words that it made Ginny dizzy. She hid her face in Tom's robe until the room was finished and Tom said, "Come, Ginny, let us see."

Ginny looked up as Tom began to read:

"_Meretta Parkinson was born to Ramea Black and Matteus Parkinson in 1961. She started Hogwarts in 1972 and was sorted into Slytherin. She became very respected by all students because of her abilities in duelling, Legilimency, Occlumency, and non-verbal spells._

_She had black hair, and blue eyes that could turn many different colors. As she had a special affinity to the Dark Arts, she became a Death Eater while still at school. _

_Meretta Parkinson—_"

Tom had noticed Ginny's shock, and stopped. "Are you all right, Ginny?" he asked her in concern. She nodded, her face still a little pale.

"_Meretta Parkinson married Reginald Parkington in 1979, and they served the Dark Lord without shame._

_However, on August 11, 1981, Meretta gave birth to a healthy baby girl. In accordance with Black naming method, they named her Estella Parkington._

_Unfortunately for the three of them, the fall of the Dark Lord on October 31 sparked several life-changing events. The Ministry of Magic, which was searching for the Death Eaters it was aware of, trapped the Parkington family at their home. Meretta and Reginald escaped and went into hiding, but left the baby behind. The Ministry took Estella on the excuse that she could not possibly grow up well in a Death Eater home (see Estella Parkington)._

_Meretta and Reginald are still serving the Dark Lord, and will most likely continue in his service until their deaths. Their location is not known, as they are most likely under the strictest protection, being very useful in the Dark Army._

_Meretta and her husband hope to one day be reunited with Estella. They miss their daughter very much, and hope her to be very strong in her beliefs, as they have been_."

Tom stopped reading and put his arm around Ginny, who was pale, and near tears. "Dear Ginny," he said to her, "whatever is wrong?"

"Oh, Tom, this can't be true," Ginny whispered.

He sighed and called out, "Estella Parkington!"

* * *

I completely made up Estella, Megan, Brianna, and Samantha's relations.

Brianna and Samantha, the twins, are Estella's third cousins. Megan is a second cousin once removed of Estella. Cherea Charleston is a Ravenclaw girl, and is the twins' first cousin; she is also Ginny's third cousin. As for Estella being related to Pansy, they are first cousins. Estella's mother Meretta was a Parkinson by birth, sister to Pansy's father, Larosil.

If you have any questions about the lineage (or anything, really) just message me, or ask in a review, or something.


	12. Undisguised

The room scrolled through only a few pages before it stopped. Tom looked at it carefully and decided that Ginny should know the truth. He gently reassured Ginny, then went on reading:

"_Estella Parkington was born to Meretta Parkinson and Reginald Parkington on August 11, 1981. When she was about four months old, her parents (who were exceptionally strong Death Eaters) fled their home to go into hiding._

_Upon finding Estella, the Ministry quickly seized her, excusing their actions by saying that these fanatical Death Eaters could not provide a decent home for a child to grow up in. The Ministry put Estella up for adoption._

_Estella was available for adoption for a year and two months before Arthur and Molly Weasley took her in. The Weasleys renamed her Ginevra Molly Weasley, giving her a simple name so that she would fit in with her six adopted brothers._

_The Weasleys did not really adopt her, however; they just took her in and renamed her. Since Estella had been nearly a year and a half without any parents, she found it very hard to accept Arthur and Molly. Estella was often sullen and unresponsive, and sometimes threw temper tantrums._

_After a few years at the Weasley home, Ginny finally accepted her new family, although she often fought with her brothers. She used devious ways to win her fights!_

_Ginny met Tom Riddle during the summer of 1991, and they became good friends. Unfortunately for the two of them, the Dark Lord happened to be Tom's cousin, and began to cause trouble between them._

_Ginny started Hogwarts in 1992, and, with a bit of indecision from the Sorting Hat, was sorted into Gryffindor. She did not get along with her dorm mates, and instead sought the friendship of the Slytherin girls in her year._

_It almost seems that "Ginny" was "Estella" this year, for she [and here Tom amended it for Ginny's sake] helped the journal hor—memory—of Lord Voldemort petrify Mudbloods using the Heir of Slytherin's basilisk. Yes, Ginny is a Parselmouth._

_Ginny originally had black hair and bluish-green eyes, but Molly Weasley changed Ginny's appearance. Now, the girl has red hair and brown eyes so that she will appear to be part of the Weasley family!_

_Ginny, like her mother Meretta, is strong in duelling, Legilimency, and Occlumency. She did her first non-verbal spell by December of her first year! Ginny can also project thoughts into others' minds, and has the ability to disturb things on the molecular level (she can make things explode by simply concentrating her feelings on them)._

_She is more powerful than either of her parents, and is extremely dangerous to anyone that displeases her. Warning to the reader: do not get on her bad side!_"

Tom stopped reading once again, and knelt to put his arms around Ginny, who was weeping. He sighed a little, and murmured, "It's all right, Ginny."

"It can't be!" she sobbed, burying her face in Tom's robes. "No! NO!"

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Tom said gently. "I didn't know." He sighed, stroking her back comfortingly. "So your real name is Estella Parkington."

Ginny jerked and looked up at Tom. "Don't call me that," she begged him. "I can't be that person!"

He frowned. "Ginny, this room does not lie. It stores all the information it can about everyone," Tom told her. "It is true."

"No," she whispered, hiding her face again. "Tom, my real parents can't be Death Eaters! I—I'm so ashamed!"

Tom held Ginny close and murmured, "You don't have to be ashamed, Ginny. They stood up for their beliefs, and you should stand up for yours. Death Eater parents are nothing to be ashamed of."

"But, Tom," Ginny wept, "I—I don't—oh, I don't understand! Why didn't Mum and Dad tell me that I was adopted?"

"Ginny, they probably wanted to hide your heritage from you so that you'd grow up to be a good girl," Tom told her. "And of course it would be easier to fit in with an adopted family if you didn't know that you were adopted."

Tom held the red-haired girl gently as she shook with sobs, unable to speak. She clung to him tightly, feeling quite lost. He murmured reassuring words in her ear and she quieted a little, trying to calm down. She stayed in his arms, leaning tiredly against his chest, and sniffing once in a while.

"That's probably why your brother Percy acts so awkwardly around you," Tom said softly. "He must have been around six years old when you were adopted. The boys younger than him will most likely not remember your adoption."

Ginny sniffed, then added, "And maybe that's why Mum let me play with Brianna and Samantha. She knew we were cousins, and wanted me to have at least some contact with my family."

Smiling, Tom nodded. "Third cousins, to be precise," he said. "And Pansy Parkinson is your first cousin. And you have many other cousins because your grandmother was a Black!"

"Well," Ginny told Tom reluctantly, "Dad—I mean Arthur Weasley, you know—descended from the Blacks, but it seems that my real Mother is more closely related to the whole Black family!"

Tom snorted. "Yes, your parents weren't disowned!" He smirked, then asked, "So, according to the record here, your hair is not really red, but black. Shall I change your hair and eye colour back to the way it was?"

Ginny nodded in slight excitement, and Tom drew his wand. He took the charm off Ginny's hair, and watched as it slowly turned a shiny black and lengthened so that she could almost sit on it!

"Ginny," Tom whispered, "you are so beautiful!" He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her slightly. Ginny pulled a lock of her black hair over her shoulder and stroked it carefully. Tom ran his fingers through Ginny's hair, a smile coming to his face. "It becomes you well, Estella," he said quietly to her.

She smiled a little, then asked, "Didn't it say that my eye colour was changed too, Tom?"

He nodded, and changed her eye colour. Tom then quickly conjured a mirror, and handed it to Ginny. "Here," he said, "see yourself."

Tom waited to see what her reaction to herself would be, and was pleased when Ginny gasped and said, "That's beautiful, Tom!" She then whispered to herself, "I'm beautiful."

"Of course," he told her. "You always have been, Ginny."

She turned back to Tom and gave him a big hug. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Now, I should go back to my dorm. I have a lot to do."

He nodded. "But I must change your hair back," he said. "I'll leave your eyes that colour: it's beautiful, and not nearly as noticeable as your black hair!"

Ginny smiled, and allowed Tom to work, then escort her back up to the Gryffindor Common Room.

* * *

In their next potions class, Riker turned to Ginny and said quietly, "Don't make any noise when I ask you this, all right?" Ginny nodded and the Slytherin girl continued. "I've talked to all my dorm mates, and we've decided that we can allow you to come sleep-over in our dorm."

Ginny stared at Riker in disbelief. "Truly?" she asked. "No tricks?"

"No tricks," Riker promised. "I swear to Salazar Slytherin."

"Wonderful!" Ginny said with a small smile. "When is it?"

Riker shrugged. "Whenever you can come," she told Ginny. "We weren't sure when you'd be able to come, so we wanted you to choose which night."

Ginny smiled at Riker. "How about...this Friday?" Ginny asked. "You know, in case we stay up all night, or something like that."

"All right. I'll let the girls know." Suddenly, Riker looked a bit worried. "How will you be able to get into our dorm without being seen?"

"Don't worry," Ginny said easily. "I'll disguise myself as a black-haired Slytherin girl, and come to you that way. I'll probably be the student that no one recognizes."

Riker nodded. "Be careful. My housemates can be torturous to those they dislike."

"Don't I know that," Ginny stated flatly. "Don't I know that!"


	13. Sleepovers and House Crests

Brianna and Samantha sat together in the Slytherin Common Room, discretely watching for Ginny to come in. They were working on their homework, but really couldn't concentrate. Talking together in low voices, Brianna reminded her twin that Ginny would be disguised as a dark-haired Slytherin girl.

Samantha smiled a little, wondering how exactly Ginny was going to do that. Just at that moment, a girl stepped into the Common Room with her books, and walked over to the twins, seating herself next to them. "Hi," she said. "I'm here."

The twins giggled slightly, and Samantha told Ginny, "Your robe looks brand new, Ginny, and I could have sworn that you don't have new robes! Wait, that's a Slytherin robe: who'd you get it from?"

"And how'd you do your hair?" Brianna wanted to know. "You look like us, Gin!"

Ginny smiled. "Let's go into your dorm so that we can talk freely over our homework," she requested of the twins. They sighed, stood, and led Ginny up to their dorm room.

Once Ginny and the Charleston twins were in the dormitory room, they asked Ginny the same questions. Ginny replied, "We should wait for the other girls. After all, they wouldn't be happy if we went ahead and talked together without them." Brianna and Samantha frowned at each other, but relented.

Megan, Guage, and Riker joined them after a few minutes, and Brianna asked for the third time, "Now, Ginny, we're all here, and you must tell us how you changed yourself to look that way!"

Ginny nodded and began. "I transfigured the House crest on my robes into the Slytherin House crest. I also used Transfiguration to make my robes look new," she told them.

Guage frowned. "Can you show us how you did it? I'd much rather destroy things than transfigure them!"

The other girls laughed, and Ginny pulled her wand out and shrugged her outer robe off, laying it across her lap. She moved the material until she could easily see the House crest on it. Ginny smiled down at it, then tapped her wand on it.

Megan and Riker leaned closer to watch, and saw the Slytherin House crest become the Ravenclaw House crest. Ginny then used a Colour-changing Charm on it to change the House colours. "I'm not yet good enough to change the shape and the color at the same time," Ginny told the Slytherin girls.

Megan nodded, and Samantha said, "Change it to the Gryffindor House crest."

Ginny refused, shaking her head. "I won't do that in the Slytherin dungeons, Samantha. I have to go out wearing the Slytherin robe, step into a room and transfigure it to Gryffindor, then go back to my Common Room. I'd never want to put anything Gryffindor in a Slytherin dorm room: that's just wrong."

"Agreed," said Megan. "So change it back, and tell us why your hair is so long and black!"

Smiling, Ginny quickly changed the Ravenclaw House crest back into the Slytherin House crest and slipped her robe back on. Pulling several locks of her black hair over her shoulder, she began, "My real hair colour—" and then stopped.

_Should I tell them?_ she wondered. _Tom? Should I tell them about my family?_

"Ginny," Brianna interrupted her thoughts, "what's wrong?"

Tom answered, interrupting Ginny's reply. _Yes, you can tell them. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and you should know it by now anyway._

Megan reached over and pinched Ginny's arm right below her elbow. "Wake up, ginger!"

Ginny's instant reaction was to jerk her arm away from Megan's grasp, accidentally slapping the red-haired girl across the face with her hand. Inside, Ginny gasped in horror, but outwardly, she turned back to the others and began to speak again.

"In the last two weeks, I—I've learned that I was adopted," Ginny told them.

Brianna and Samantha stared at their friend, and Riker gasped, "Don't tell me you're a Mudblood! Goodbye, everyone. I'm going to jump off the Astronomy Tower." She started to get up.

"No, Riker!" Ginny cried. "Do you really believe I could be a Mudblood and still love the Heir of Slytherin to death?"

Megan stared at her in amazement, and Guage gaped at her. Brianna and Samantha jumped up and forced Riker to sit back down. "So...you're not a Mudblood?" Riker asked carefully.

"Of course not, Riker," Ginny said. She turned to Megan and told her, "Do not call me 'ginger.'"

"All right," Megan said finally, "but explain to us who you really are."

Ginny sighed a little, then smiled complacently. "I am the only child of two Death Eaters," she began finally, "and I am a pureblood!"

"Death Eaters!" gasped Brianna and Samantha together. "Honest?"

"That's amazing!" Guage gasped.

Megan asked, "How did you get adopted by the Weasleys, then? Why did your real parents give you up?"

Ginny frowned slightly, then replied, "My parents became Death Eaters while they were still at school, and served the Dark Lord after they graduated. I was born just before Potter's defeat of Lord Voldemort, which marked the end of the First Wizarding War. When I was four months old, Aurors trapped my parents and me in our little house. They were trying to capture Mum and Dad because they were exceptionally good Death Eaters. Mum and Dad had to leave me at the house when they fled and went into hiding. I was taken by the Ministry and put up for adoption. When I was a year and a half, Arthur and Molly Weasley adopted me."

The five Slytherin girls tried to take in the story, staring at Ginny in disbelief. "So," Guage began, "who are your real parents?"

"Reginald and Meretta Parkington," Ginny stated proudly.

Brianna and Samantha sat still for an instant, then gasped, "That can't be! Ginny, you're-you're—"

Ginny nodded happily. "I'm related to you two, and to Megan, and to Pansy Parkinson, and it's so amazing!"

"You are our missing third cousin!" Brianna exclaimed.

"And that black hair is your natural hair colour!" Samantha added.

Riker shook her head in disbelief, and Ginny grinned. "Yes, I am, girls." She looked at Megan carefully. "That's why I do not want to be called 'ginger.' I'm not a ginger!"

Megan was shocked. "So, if you're really a Parkington, then what's your real name?"

"Estella," Ginny replied. "And I changed my eye colour back to normal as well. Molly Weasley was the one who put the charms on me. I guess she wanted me to look like the rest of her family."

Riker nodded. "This must be why you're so different, Ginny," she said.

Samantha smiled and told Ginny what the Charleston parents had said about her. "This is why our parents let us play with you! And why Mrs. Weasley couldn't keep you from us! You're part of our family!"

Brianna and Samantha grinned wickedly at Ginny, who sighed. "If I had known who I was when I came to Hogwarts, I would be a Slytherin right now," she told them sadly. "But I was afraid to go against my 'family.'"

"It's all right," Megan said, taking the lead. "We'll stand by you in whatever happens to you. I don't care what anybody says."

Ginny smiled. "Thanks."

Riker frowned. "Ginny, Slytherins don't say—"

"All right, all right," Ginny sighed. "But if we're friends and I can't say thanks, then you have to allow me to call you Reyallalie."

She looked startled, but answered, "Just call me Reya."

Ginny nodded, and prepared herself to answer the girls' questions. They asked her about her opinion of the Heir, and her take on the Mudbloods, and practically everything about both of her families. Ginny tried to answer very carefully, and never mentioned Tom to them once.

Finally, Megan said, "Did you all see the announcement about the Duelling Club? I'm going. I think this will be rather exciting!"

"If you appreciate Lockhart," Ginny sighed. Then she brightened. "But we get to see Lockhart flattened by your Head of House!"

The girls laughed together, but Riker frowned. "You know," she said, "that's not funny."

Ginny smiled a little longer, then frowned. "Reya, you sound like a Gryffindor. Snape is going to absolutely destroy Lockhart's reputation! It's going to be great!"

Brianna and Samantha laughed. "We're going just to see Lockhart and Professor Snape duel," they told the others. "And sorry if Lockhart's your knight in shining armour, but he's gonna get served at the Duelling Club!"

Riker sighed and turned to Ginny. "Why do you all hate Lockhart? Is it because he's so famous?"

"No," Ginny interrupted Guage's explanation, "but he's a horrid fake, and I don't believe he's done one bit of what he says he's done."

"And his fan mail!" exclaimed Brianna.

"Yeah," added Samantha, "no one is so famous so that they are adored like that!"

Brianna snorted. "His hair is wayyyy too perfect for all those 'dangerous' situations he's been in."

"You'd think he'd have a burn, or wound, or scar somewhere," Samantha told the other girls.

"Nobody can do all that, without being hurt, not even your Potter," Brianna told Ginny.

Ginny glared at the Charlestons. Ahhck if they didn't drive her crazy sometimes. "He's not my Potter!" Ginny shouted angrily. "Don't call him that!"

Megan and Guage grinned, watching Ginny and her cousins argue. Brianna grinned happily, having gotten the reaction she wanted. "Anyway," Riker said, trying to keep them from arguing more, "I can see what you mean about him."

Guage frowned. "I'm not going to go," she told them calmly. "I have to go to the library."

"Uhhh, be careful," Brianna said quietly. "The Heir might...GETCHA!" Samantha grabbed Riker by the shoulders, making her shriek in fright.

"Hush!" scolded Megan. "You'll bring a prefect in here!"

Ginny shrugged, but Tom commanded her, _Tell Guage that she must go to the Duelling Club or she will miss out on something great. I can feel it, Ginny!_

Instantly, Ginny told Guage, "You must go, Guage. We can get the library books afterwards if you wish, but you have to go! I feel as if something amazing will happen there, and I don't want you to miss it! Do you want to miss Lockhart's epic fail at duelling? Do you?"

Guage looked at Ginny very carefully, then sighed. "Yes, I guess I'll come with you after all."

Ginny was about to cheer when they heard footsteps outside the door. All six of the girls inside the room quickly looked down. The door opened, and a blonde Slytherin girl with a prefect badge pinned to her school uniform stepped into her room, closing the door behind her. The girls looked up at the prefect, and Ginny recognized one of the Slytherins that Riker had sicced on her.

"It's already lights-out," the prefect said coldly, "and you all should be in bed, sleeping. You first years never change."

"Of course not," said Megan in annoyance. "Did you expect us to?"

The prefect glared at each of the girls in turn, and focused on Ginny. "I haven't seen you around," she growled at Ginny. "Who are you?"

All the other girls answered at the same time, "She's a—"

"Hush!" Ginny snapped at them, shocking them into silence. "I am Estella Parkington," she told the prefect, the name rolling off her tongue. "I am somewhat invisible when I wish to be."

"Well, see to it that you are very quiet, or I will set punishment on you," the prefect told Ginny.

The prefect turned to leave, and Ginny stuck out her tongue at the older girl's back. The twins, Megan, and Guage laughed, making the prefect turn around. "What did you do?" she snarled at Ginny.

Ginny shrugged, and the prefect slapped her across the face. "What. Did. You. Do?" she hissed.

Anger boiled inside Ginny, and she screamed in anger, drawing her wand and hexing the prefect through the closed door, which splintered. Ginny quickly repaired the door, and sat down with her friends again. They stared at her, and she said, "I do have a wild temper, I guess. I don't put up with anything like that from her kind. You think she'd learn not to mess with me!"

The girls laughed, and Brianna said, "All right, let's go to bed. We can do whatever in the morning. I'm sleeping with sis, and Ginny—pardon me—Estella is going to take my bed. That was a stroke of genius, cousin!"

Ginny smiled slightly. "It's who I think of myself as now," she told the girls, putting her wand on the nightstand and slipping out of her outer robe. "Thanks, Brianna."

Brianna nodded, but Riker scowled, laughing. "Estella, you're never going to learn."

* * *

The next night, when Ginny was brushing her teeth in the bathroom off of the Gryffindor Common Room, her dorm mates cornered her against the sink. "Where were you last night?" they asked her.

Ginny sighed a little. "I went off to meet some of my friends," she told them.

Marlene scowled at Ginny. "Tell us the truth!" she demanded.

_If you won't accept truth, then I'll tell you a wonderful lie!_ Ginny thought at them angrily. "I was meeting my brothers."

"I said, 'The truth!'" snapped Marlene.

Ginny got a wicked grin on her face, and told the Gryffindor girl, "I was meeting the Heir of Slytherin and telling him about the Mudbloods that I know so that we could choose the next victim. Excuse me; I'm going to bed now." She shoved Marlene out of the way, earning strange looks from a prefect and Hermione Granger, both who had just entered the bathroom.

Ginny escaped to her dorm room quickly, intent on annoying her dorm mates. She took out her wand, and changed all the Gryffindor House crests on her dorm mates's robes to the Hufflepuff crest. Ginny giggled to herself and hurried to bed, feeling Tom's amusement in her mind.

* * *

On Monday morning during potions, Riker leaned over to Ginny and asked, "Uhhh, did you give your dorm mates the Hufflepuff crest?"

Ginny nodded quietly, grinning to herself. Megan leaned over to Marlene and stage-whispered, "Your house crest become you, Heark."

Practically no one looked up, but the Slytherin girls all giggled silently to themselves. Marlene tossed her head proudly, and Ginny smothered a laugh, knowing that her dorm mates had no idea what had happened.

The boys in the classroom finally saw what was so funny, and Snape had to glare down several rounds of laughter in the room. Just before Snape dismissed his class, he sneered at Marlene, "Do you think yourself incorrectly sorted, Heark?"

Laughter swelled around the room, and Marlene stared at Snape, looking confused. Suddenly, Marlene's potions partner, Marianne gave a cry and pointed to the Hufflepuff House crest on her friend's robes. Suddenly, the four girls realized that their House crests had been changed, and were nearly in tears over all the cracks the Slytherin girls were making at them.

Suddenly, Brianna pointed at Ginny and gasped, "She's wearing our House crest!"

Everyone looked over at Ginny, horrified. The Slytherin girls pretended, the Slytherin boys were insulted, the Gryffindor boys were angry that Ginny would wear the Slytherin House crest, and the Gryffindor girls weren't sure what to think.

Snape strode over to Ginny and Riker, glaring down at Ginny (Riker stepped back beside the twins). He drew his wand and quickly changed Ginny's House crest back to Gryffindor, making the Slytherin girls all boo togther. "Weasley," snarled Snape, "do not ever transfigure your crest again."

Ginny looked up at him calmly, and nodded easily. "Furthermore, you will serve detention every day this week after lunch, and you will transfigure every House crest you changed back to NORMAL!" Snape shouted at her. "Beginning now!"

The room was absolutely silent as Ginny drew her wand and walked over to Marianne. She easily tapped her wand on the House crest, transforming it back to Gryffindor. Ginny changed the colous of the House crest quickly, then went on to Marlene, who glared at Ginny the whole time. Kefira and Karidia sighed in relief when Ginny fixed their robes.

Snape checked Ginny's work, then snarled, "Get out." Ginny gathered her potions things and hurried out, grinning at her success in embarrassing her dorm mates.


	14. Polyjuice and Prefects

Tom called to Ginny and said, _I know you've been coming to the Chamber through the library entrance for more safety, but there were people in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom a couple weeks ago, and one keeps coming back for some reason. Could you please check on that when you come tonight, Ginny?_

Ginny promised she would. That night, when she came into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, she looked surprised. _Tom, there's a potion brewing in here!_ She stepped closer and knelt by it, checking out the ingredients that sat by the cauldron. Ginny read them to Tom and he materialized beside Ginny.

Tom knelt beside Ginny and frowned down at the potion. "It's polyjuice potion," he told her. "Used to take on the appearance of another person. This is a sixth year level potion, Ginny."

"Why is it in here, though?" Ginny said. "Are we going to have people impersonating other people? There's a lot of potion in there..."

"Probably," Tom replied. "This is probably one of the most secret places to brew a potion at Hogwarts. But...if the sixth years are brewing polyjuice potion in class, then this probably does not belong to one of them."

Ginny frowned. "My brother's a sixth year, and I'm fairly certain they're not there yet," she told Tom. "Who else would be up to something like this?"

Tom shrugged, and Ginny giggled to herself, "It's something a Slytherin would bribe a Ravenclaw to do!"

He smiled slightly, but frowned when he heard footsteps. In an instant, he was gone, and Ginny was left in the bathroom. The door opened, and Ginny gaped. "Granger?" she gasped.

Hermione looked shocked and very worried. "Ah, Ginny," she began, "what are you doing...oh, you didn't touch that cauldron, did you?" The brown-haired girl bustled over to her cauldron and checked it carefully.

"Of course not, Granger," Ginny said. "I may be a first year, but I'm not stupid!"

The older girl looked a bit surprised, and sighed. "It's just that—it's been a long time brewing this potion, and I'm worried about the attacks, and—." Hermione just sighed and sat down in front of the cauldron, taking her bookbag off her shoulder.

Ginny managed to look awkward for an instant, knowing that Hermione was in possibly the most dangerous place for a Mudblood to be in that year! "What are you brewing the Polyjuice Potion for, Granger? That's a sixth year level potion, you know."

Hermione creased her brow in annoyance and said, "You sound like Harry and Ron!"

"Ah! So they know, but you're brewing it for all three of you," Ginny deduced. "Who are you going to be?"

The brown-haired girl looked startled, and frowned. "Ummm," she began, then finished, "it's a secret."

Ginny turned away. "Hah."

"Oh, don't be upset," Hermione protested, afraid she'd hurt Ginny's feelings. "You probably have your own secrets as well."

_You bet I do, Granger._ Ginny thought to herself. "I'm not upset," Ginny said, "but ever since Ron went off to school, he's been ignoring me when we used to tell each other everything. He can be so annoying."

Hermione sighed. "It's just Ron. He doesn't know any better—yet. I'm still working on him," she told Ginny with a giggle. "Harry is not helping anything, though."

Ginny snorted. "Anyway," she said, "be careful with the Heir around...you know."

The other girl nodded. "Sit down, Ginny. I'm curious about your view of the first years. How are you doing?"

Laughter came from Ginny, and Hermione asked, "Is it that much fun?"

"Well, yes," Ginny replied. "I played a trick on my dorm mates, and they all wore Hufflepuff robes to Potions this morning. Snape made me un-transfigure them at the end of class."

Hermione looked horrified. "Ginny, you're not supposed to use transfiguration to annoy people," she scolded.

"Granger," Ginny snapped, "you asked about how I saw it, and this is how I see it."

"Oh," Hermione replied slowly, watching the potion bubble. "Go on."

Ginny sighed. "Potions is great, and Charms is okay," she told Hermione. "I liked flying a lot: I think I impressed Madam Hooch—but don't tell my brothers, okay? Transfiguration is fun: it's that I've done mostly to annoy my dorm mates."

Hermione frowned a little. "First years are usually not able to perform the transfiguration needed to change House crests, Ginny."

Ginny smiled to herself. "And second years usually don't brew Polyjuice Potion, Granger!"

"I'm Hermione," corrected the older girl, "and, yes, it's true, but it was necessary."

"And breaks about fifty rules," Ginny teased her.

Hermione groaned. "Don't remind me that I'm helping your brother and Harry break rules. They're awful enough on their own!"

Ginny nodded in understanding, then continued her explanation of her classes. "Herbiology is fine: I like plants because I always helped Mum with her garden."

"What about Defense?" Hermione asked quickly. "Do you like Lockhart?"

Ginny burst into giggles, and Hermione started giggling too. "No," said Ginny flatly, silencing Hermione's humor. "I can't wait to see him get 'served' (as I heard a Slytherin girl put it) at the Duelling Club!"

"Yes, well." Hermione looked down at the potions text she had.

Ginny looked over at it, and said, "Oooohhh, Granger—I mean, Hermione's got a book from the Restricted Section!" She grinned. "Let me guess: you got permission by flattering Lockhart."

Hermione grinned sheepishly, and nodded. "Really, Ginny," she began uncomfortably, "you shouldn't know anymore about this. You might get hurt."

"I'm in less danger than you are, Hermione," Ginny answered quietly.

Hermione looked up at Ginny quickly and said, "Don't say anything..."

Ginny shook her head. "I won't tell anyone. Do I look like a tattle-tale?"

"Well, you're acting a lot like the Slytherin girls in my year," Hermione replied slowly. "You should be very careful, Ginny."

Ginny stood up so quickly that one of Hermione's ingredient bottles tipped over, spilling something slimy on the floor. "Granger, quit telling me what to do! I'm not another Gryffindor you have to coddle: I have parents, you know, and I'm not helpless like Ron!" Ginny turned and walked to the door.

"Ginny," began Hermione earnestly, but Ginny shook her head. "I must go. See you at the Duelling Club!"

"Wait!" Hermione asked. "Please, Ginny, I didn't mean to tell you what to do. It's just that—you're so different from your brother."

_He's not my brother_! sing-songed Ginny thought's. Ginny smiled a little, then turned back to Hermione. "Tell me what you're planning to do with the Potion, or I'll tell a prefect what you're up to."

"You wouldn't!" Hermione gasped, standing up.

Ginny nodded. "I would. You said I act like the Slytherin girls you know, didn't you?"

Hermione drew her wand and shouted, "**Stupefy**_!_"

Ginny raised her hand and blocked the Stunning Spell without a wand. Hermione stared. "Ginny, how are you so good at transfiguration and Defense?"

The redhead smiled to herself and replied, "I practice, Hermione. Now tell me, what are you planning to do with the Potion."

The brown-haired girl frowned and looked at Ginny for a while before finally saying, "We're—we're trying to find out who the Heir of Slytherin is."

Ginny heard Tom start laughing in her head, and almost laughed herself. She opened her eyes wide, and Hermione nodded. "I didn't want to tell you, because the Heir is dangerous, you know."

Ginny nodded very, very seriously, and asked, "So, do you have an idea of who the Heir is?"

Hermione shrugged. "We're not exactly sure, but we think maybe Malfoy? Since he's so outspoken against the Muggle-borns."

_Tom, please quit laughing! You're making it hard to think clearly, and my fascade is going to break in about two seconds!_ Ginny begged Tom in her mind. She looked at Hermione and answered, "If Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin, we'd all know about it by now. You know that whatever Malfoy is, quiet he is not!"

Hermione frowned. "It's a lead, Ginny, and we're just hoping to find out something," she told Ginny.

"Besides, Malfoy's not even descended from Salazar Slytherin. How could he be the Heir?" Ginny inquired. "Sounds to me like you're blaming him because he doesn't like you!"

"Quit!" Hermione ordered Ginny. "If you don't have any better ideas, then quit blasting holes in mine!"

Ginny giggled. "That couldn't have been your idea," she told Hermione. "You think too logically, and you know that what I just said is right. It was most likely Ron's or Harry's idea, and you're just going along with it to make them happy." _And to show off your potion-making skills._

Hermione stared at Ginny in disbelief. "How is it that you know all this from one meeting of ours?" demanded the thirteen year old girl. "How many Slytherin friends do you have?"

With a sigh, Ginny explained. "I grew up with two of the girls that were sorted into Slytherin this year, Hermione. I've been best friends with them since we were five. I am still friends with them, and—I guess their Slytherin attitude has rubbed off on me. Sorry." She looked down at the ground and sighed again. "Please don't tell Ron that I've been so stupid tonight."

Hermione grinned. "All right." She stood and said, "Now that I've checked the potion, I can go back to bed. Come on: I'll walk with you."

Ginny allowed herself to be escorted down the hall toward the Gryffindor Common Room, apologizing to Tom (C) for Granger's persistant annoyance. Tom told Ginny that it was interesting to learn how Granger thought, and also informed her that Hermione would most likely be one of the 'Heir''s victim's before the end of the school year. _Hurrah!_ Ginny cheered sarcastically, and she and Tom laughed together inside her mind.

Just then, several doors slammed, and Hermione looked horrified. "Ginny, what'll we do if that's—"

"Hide behind me," Ginny replied easily. "But that's a prefect, and not the Heir. I don't believe the Heir would drop his books as he strolls down the hall."

"You seem to have formed a rather concrete image of the Heir," Hermione commented.

Ginny laughed quietly. "Hasn't everyone?"

The prefect, who Ginny had known was coming, was the Gryffindor prefect that she'd seen with Hermione before. Upon seeing Hermione, the prefect sighed, "Granger, I did believe that you at least would respect curfew!"

Hermione looked crushed, and Ginny piped up, "I asked her to come with me. I needed a girl-to-girl talk."

"Don't lie," the prefect told Ginny. "I know better than that. I saw you leave your dormitory room, Weasley."

"And you lost me somewhere in Hogwarts and only just now found me again," Ginny replied. "Fine. But when I tell the truth, not even my own dorm mates believe me."

Hermione hid her face in her hands, embarrassed. "Sorry, Hermione," the prefect said, "but I'm going to have to take both of you to Professor McGonagall."

"No, please—" Hermione began, but Ginny stopped her.

"We don't beg, Hermione," she told the brown-haired girl. "We fight." Ginny drew her wand and hexed the prefect halfway down the hall. "Run, Hermione!" Ginny cried. "I'll keep her off."

Hermione bit her lip in indecision, and Ginny hit her with a Propulsion Jinx (it probably feels like being hit by a riding crop on the back of your legs. It makes a person hurry!). Hermione yelped and hurried off down the hall.

"So it's true what the Slytherin prefects say," gasped the Gryffindor prefect, Miskenet, "you are really, really good at hexes and duelling. Your brother said they were lying, and he always tells the truth!"

Ginny grinned. "To the best of his knowledge he does," she told Miskenet. "I fought ten Slytherins, ranging from fifth years to first years, at the same time a few days ago and won, only losing my voice at the very end. A couple of them might have been prefects."

"All right," said the prefect. "You know, I try to follow the rules and all that, but I'll make you a deal." Ginny nodded for her to go ahead, and she continued, "I'll let you go tonight if you'll teach me that hex you used on me."

"Deal," Ginny answered. "When do you want me to teach you?"

The prefect thought about it, then asked, "How about after lunch on Wednesday this week?"

"Can't," Ginny sighed. "I have detention with Snape all this week at that time. I can do it next week, though."

Miskenet smiled. "Okay, on Monday." Ginny nodded, and the prefect asked, "What did you do to Snape in order to receive detention?"

Ginny looked at the prefect carefully and answered, "Well, Hermione wasn't happy with me either, and you're a prefect and she's not, but here goes: I transfigured my dorm mates' House crests into Hufflepuff House crests."

"You didn't." Ginny nodded, and Miskenet asked, "Wouldn't he already know that it was you who'd done it if you were the only Gryffindor girl without a changed crest?"

"Nope. I changed mine to Slytherin," Ginny explained. "I refuse to wear the Puff crest."

Miskenet giggled. "'The Puff crest,'" she said to herself. "I'd have refused to wear the Slytherin House crest." She looked sharply at Ginny. "You transfigured them?" Ginny nodded once again, and the prefect told Ginny, "That's amazing! You're only a first year!"

Ginny giggled. "Never underestimate a first year. Percy did, and he was defeated by a simple Disarming Charm. And I think maybe Snape knew because I've transfigured my dorm mates' bedsheets into the Slytherin House colours because they were annoying me."

"Oh, Ginny," laughed Miskenet, "that's great academically, but it's wrong behaviour!"

Ginny laughed freely. "It sets the Transfiguration spells in my mind," she told the older girl, "and it helps me learn the hexes better. I have to be able to defend myself!"

The prefect nodded, and led Ginny into the Common Room, where Percy was. He turned to see who had come in, and his face turned red. "Ginny!" he exclaimed, "Are you mad? Don't you know it's way past curfew?"

_Where's Hermione, Tom?_ Ginny asked him. _Has she come through here yet?_

Tom smiled at Ginny's strange predicament. _Hermione is at this moment hiding in the Common Room somewhere._

_Ah,_ Ginny said. Then she looked daggers at her brother. "Yes, dear brother, if only to save myself from you," she replied.

Percy looked furious, and Miskenet nearly laughed, but stopped herself just in time. "Here," Percy said to Miskenet, "I'll take care of her. Ginny, I'm going to—"

Ginny glowered at her brother, tensing for the draw, and Miskenet warned Percy, "Keep away, and don't make her angry." He looked a bit confused, and she hastened to explain. "You were wrong about her abilities, Weasley. Herm—" Ginny elbowed her. "Uh, I met Ginny out in the corridors and threatened her with Professor McGonagall. Ginny hexed me into a wall. You were dead wrong, Percy."

"Not that my hex turned her into a wall," Ginny clarified to a very confused and mortified-looking Gryffindor. "My hex threw her down the hall."

Percy threw his hands up in the air and asked, "Ginevra Molly Weasley, what am I going to do with you?"

"First of all, Mr. Weasley, you will not call me by my full name, especially because it is not my real name!" Ginny laughed at Percy's incredulous expression. "Second, I've been already lectured and punished by Miskenet, and don't need anymore of that. Third, I have been out of bed rather late, and I must get some sleep tonight!"

"I really should write Mother," said Percy weakly, and Miskenet burst out laughing. "—and I'm going to!" he shouted at Ginny, glaring at the other prefect.

"Aw, you ruined it!" Ginny told her giggling friend. "He was going to give!"

Percy reached for his wand, but Ginny had anticipated his movement. Rather than going for her own wand, she grabbed someone else's off a table in the Common Room and blocked Percy's Stunning Spell.

Miskenet watched the two redheads fight, but Ginny was finally able to disarm and stun her brother. Miskenet collapsed into one of the chairs, laughing uncontrollably.

Ginny smiled slightly, then called, "Come on out, Hermione! Let's go on to bed. Miskenet is not going to turn us in."

Hermione appeared out of some couch cushions and Ginny said to her quietly, "You shouldn't hide from Old Stuck-up. It makes him feel stronger."

"Fine," Hermione sighed. "Let's go, then. I've been in the couch cushions for twenty minutes, and I need rest."

"No kidding," the prefect said. "We'll leave Percy there, and we'll get to bed. Get to bed!"

Ginny took Hermione by the hand, hurrying her up to their dorm rooms. Leaving Hermione outside her dorm, Ginny hurried to her own bed.


	15. The Dueling Club

A couple days later, as Ginny was walking down the hall, two boys jumped out at her from behind one of the statues, and Ginny shrieked in surprise. It was Fred and George, having covered their faces with boils and such things.

"S'matter, Ginny?" asked Fred, an earnest expression on his face.

Ginny drew her wand and fixed their faces as quickly as she could, shocking them. "We saw you'd been sad about the cat and the students being attacked, and thought we'd amuse you," George explained.

"Jumping out at me from behind statues is not going to help me," she told her brothers with a sigh. Ginny was not upset with them; she just wished they'd try to help her in a different way. "Especially when you two look like you've met one too many bludgers head-on—and have a really bad case of acne at the same time!"

They grinned appreciatively at Ginny's words, and said, "Well, please cheer up, Ginny."

"Honest," Fred added, "if Percy sees you so upset, he'll write Mum about it, and you'll be smothered in mother-ness before you know what happened."

"Thanks for the warning," Ginny replied gratefully, "but I can take care of myself."

The twins shrugged and hurried away down the hall. Ginny turned and watched them leave. _They are wonderful. I love them—even if they aren't really my brothers._

* * *

Ginny met her friends at the Duelling Club, standing in a circle of them, near Snape's end of the duelling platform. They were giggling in excitement, anticipating Lockhart's imminent defeat. "Ginny," Brianna said, "I'm so glad that you're with us: a couple students will probably duel after this, and we'll have a better view."

"Yes, and knowing Professor Snape, it'll be a Gryffindor against a Slytherin," Megan told her friends with a smirk.

"Precisely," Ginny replied. "And the Gryffindor will be Potter."

"No!" groaned the other girls, and Ginny added, "What? Don't you want to see him get 'served' (as the twins so gracefully put it) by Draco Malfoy?"

They laughed and nodded, then turned their attention to Lockhart, who was welcoming everyone to the duel. Ginny stole a careful glance at Snape and whispered to Megan and Guage, "He looks really annoyed to be here. Snape must have been the last one to ask for this stupid charade; I feel sorry for him. This is going to be great!"

_Tom, aren't you going to listen in?_ Ginny asked him. _I'm sorry that I didn't come visit you in the Chamber yesterday...I was rather busy._

Tom entered Ginny's mind and replied, _It's all right, Ginny. I'm sorry that I abandoned you to Granger._

_It's fine,_ Ginny answered happily. _Granger wasn't too bad..._

Tom watched as Lockhart and Snape saluted each other with their wands. _I swear to Salazar if that weren't a common courtesy, Snape would just blow Lockhart out of this world,_ Tom snorted.

Ginny giggled, and the girls looked at her strangely, Riker hushing her. "I want to hear all of it," she said. "Be quiet, Ginny."

Ginny shrugged, but quieted. Tom added, _He doesn't have to give a running commentary. It's not as if they're doing anything complicated._

_Well, perhaps the ones who are concentrating on Lockhart will learn better this way,_ Ginny replied to Tom.

_Oooohhh,_ Tom said, quite amused, _Snape's good!_

_Of course,_ said a third voice to Tom and Ginny. We_ren't all Death Eaters good at duelling?_

Ginny gulped, watching the second year Gryffindor girls give Lockhart back his wand (which Snape had blown across the room). She knew that Tom's cousin was getting stronger, and was afraid of what his voice in her head meant. She could feel Tom's anger, and worried about him.

_Ah, I just wish to watch,_ Voldemort calmed Tom and Ginny. _For now._

Ginny swallowed her fear, and watched as Lockhart called for the students to pair up and practise their duelling. The Slytherin girls drew away from Ginny, knowing how good she was.

When Ginny was trying to find a duelling partner, Snape came up to her and the group she was around and sneered down at her. "Weasley, pair up with Rishka."

"Who?" asked Ginny stupidly. She could have smacked herself.

"I see stupidity runs in your family," he sneered at her, pointing out the blonde prefect that Ginny had hexed into the wall when she had been in the first year Slytherin girls' dorm.

Ginny scowled, then smiled a little. "You would know," she said, "after all, you've worked closely with them since you got out of school."

Snape looked shocked, and the Slytherin students shot "Are you stupid?" looks at Ginny. "I most certainly d—" he began to snarl, but stopped. "Be very careful, Weasley," he snapped dangerously, "with what you insinuate." He then turned, snapping his cloak behind him, and walked away.

Ginny turned to the blonde prefect and said, "Shall we begin?"

Rishka and Ginny drew their wands, and the Slytherin said, "I'm not going to salute you, Weasley." Ginny shrugged, and the two girls and proceeded to the accepted combat position that Lockhart and Snape had just shown them. Ginny shouted a hex at Rishka, but she blocked it, grinning with delight as she waited for Ginny's next try.

Ginny grinned wickedly, realizing that the duel was going to become a wild, frenzied show of furious spells. "Forget the combat position," she laughed. "Who uses it in duels anyway?"

She shot another hex at Rishka, but it was blocked. Ginny lined up several hexes in her head and casted three of them in a row, all of them very nasty and painful hexes. The redhead was shocked to see that Rishka had blocked them all and was now scowling at her.

"Didn't realize that I knew such things, did you, Rishka?" sneered Ginny.

The Slytherin girl was furious, and threw a curse at Ginny. She shouted, "**Expelliarmus**!" and the two spells collided, stopping each other. Rishka threw another curse, and Ginny used the Shield Charm to stop it.

Ginny was happy, for she now had an infuriated Slytherin trying to curse her. Ginny blocked several of the curses, then became annoyed with the duel. All the spells were flying fast, and it had only been a minute or two since the duelling had started.

An idea came into her head, and Ginny had shouted, "**Vermus Nez**!" It was the Bat Bogey Hex, one that Ginny had just read about and decided to try out on Rishka. It got the Slytherin girl down; she was at that moment screaming in shock as her face was attacked by her own snot.

Ginny laughed to herself in excitement, feeling Tom's amusement. At that moment, Snape stepped forward and snapped, "**FiniteIncantatem**." All the effects of the spells stopped, and silence reigned for an instant before Lockhart began yapping again.

Lockhart wished to have a pair of students do an example duel, and chose Harry Potter as one of the duellists. Snape mused, "Perhaps one from my own House...Draco."

Megan stared at Ginny in surprise. "It is just as you said, Ginny," she said, "Potter against Malfoy."

"This should be interesting," giggled the twins.

Harry watched Draco swagger up to the duelling table, and Megan sighed. "He is awesome!" she told the other girls, and Ginny fully agreed.

The six girls watched Blondie and Blackie salute each other, then turn and begin to walk away, Snape counting off the paces. Before Snape had gotten to two and a half, Draco whirled around, pointing his wand at Harry and yelling, "**Flipendo**_!_"

The Slytherins all cheered, Ginny included, although she didn't want to be seen doing so by her housemates. _And he gets up again,_ Tom cheered, _points his wand at Draco, and—_rictusempra?_ Where did that come from?_

Draco was doubled up with laughter, for _Rictusempra_ is the Tickling Charm. The permanent sneer affixed on Snape's face now appeared annoyed. He stepped forward and shouted, "**Finite Incantatem**_!_"

The effects of the charm stopped immediately, and Draco got to his feet. Snape whispered something in his ear, and shoved him forward on the duelling table. "**Serpensortia**!"

Ginny gasped in surprise and felt Tom's amusement. _Why, hello there,_ Tom laughed to himself. _I've always wanted to see what Potter would do when faced with a serpant!_

_In case he ever met Benjy?_ Ginny asked Tom.

Before Tom could speak, Voldemort interrupted. _If Potter were to meet the basilisk, he would be at a disadvantage, for it only obeys the three of us._

Ginny watched as the serpant slithered toward Harry, and Tom felt her tension as they heard the serpant hiss (P), "Greetingsss, little onesss. Watch very carefully. Ssstrike...ssstrike..."

Tom was very annoyed to see Lockhart say, "I'll take care of it for you, Harry!"

_No, don't let him!_ Ginny shouted in her mind. _Not Lockhart, you dunderheads! As if he could deal with a conjured serpant!_

_Ginevra Weasley, if you so much as say one word to that serpant, I'll—I'll—_ Tom sputtered.

Ginny sighed. _I get the message, Tom—oh, no!_

_He can't deal with a simple serpant? He should know that serpants don't appreciate being thrown around,_ Tom said to no one in particular. _What now? Oooohhh, it's going for the Mudblood! This should be very exciting!_

Tom and Ginny were shocked to hear Harry Potter hiss (P), "No! Leave him alone!" to the serpant.

_He did not just do what I think he did,_ Tom growled. _Potter can't be a Parselmouth! Somebody _Avada Kedavra_ me, please! It's such a shame!_

Ginny's friends looked horrified, all except Megan and Guage. Ginny noticed that Megan had a small smirk of triumph (and also a look of disappointment) on her face as the serpant coiled up, and left the Hufflepuff Mudblood alone.

The Mudblood yelled at Harry, "What are you playing at?" and ran out of the room.

Ginny was furious with the Mudblood, and felt Voldemort's approval. The other students present started all talking to each other, and Snape quickly vanished the serpant. Harry hurried back to Ron and Hermione, many students avoiding him. Ginny was very upset, as she understood perfectly what nearly everyone around them were thinking, and was displeased.

Tom told Ginny, _If anyone says anything to you about Potter being the "Heir of Slytherin," correct them, please!_

_I will_, she promised. _How can they all be so Hufflepuff?_

Laughing, Tom scolded, _Don't use 'Hufflepuff' synonymously with 'stupid,' Ginny._

Ginny agreed with him, then looked at the Slytherin girls around her. "Hey, girls, we should meet again in your dorm, so that we can discuss this."

The twins nodded, and Riker said, "Okay." Megan and Guage, still looking very irritated, finally agreed.

"I'll let you know when," Ginny told them. She then hurried to leave the room.


	16. Affliction and Bribery

Ginny went to the Chamber that night to meet Tom. She told him that she felt very mixed up about Harry's being a Parselmouth.

"Ginevra," he replied, "I understand that you like him and that would want him to be like you in this way, but it's not right." Ginny frowned at him, and Tom put his hands on Ginny's shoulders. "I know you're going to think I'm extremist again, but please let me finish explaining. Potter is a half-blood, and therefore shouldn't be a Parselmouth—Salazar, Ginny, let me finish!"

She sighed and looked up at him, an unamused look on her face. "As I was saying, Potter is a half-blood, and should not be a Parselmouth."

"Why not?" she asked flatly, her hands on her hips. "Isn't your cousin?"

Tom scowled. "That was his mother's fault," he snapped. "We came from a family of Parselmouths; Harry Potter did not! The ability to speak to snakes doesn't run in his family!"

"It doesn't run in mine either," Ginny hissed at Tom.

"Did you forget that you're not a Weasley, Estella?" Tom asked her.

Ginny stared at Tom in disbelief, and he continued, "I'm certain that someone else gave Potter his ability, Ginny; he could not have come by that naturally."

"But...how, Tom? Ginny asked. "And who could have done it?"

Tom sighed. "I despise saying this, but there's only one person besides you and I that could have given Potter his ability."

Ginny stared. "NO!" she gasped.

"Yes," said Tom spitefully. "The night Voldemort killed the Potters, he (in his stupidity) accidentally transferred some of his special powers and abilities to the boy."

"Oh, Tom," sighed Ginny, "I don't understand it."

The dark-haired boy sighed again and told Ginny, "If you understood everything I told you about Potter's new abilities and everything about the journal, then you would be in grave danger all the time."

Ginny sighed, depressed. "It's all right, Ginny," he told her gently, and she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Ginny," he murmured, "I'm sorry about all this."

She buried her face in his robe, and he knelt down to hold her better. She clung to him tightly, trying very hard not to cry. Tom rubbed Ginny's back to calm her, and she sighed yet again and looked up over Tom's shoulder.

What she saw startled her, and she gasped, "T—Tom, there's—" She pulled away from him and back away, staring behind him. He jumped up and whirled around to stand in front of Ginny.

"Hello, Riddle," said the other dark-haired boy.

Tom stared at his cousin in alarm before his face went blank. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Only to speak to the one who promised me her loyalty."

Tom scowled, but turned to look at Ginny, who was watching Tom's cousin very closely. "She's not yours," Tom snapped at Voldemort.

_What on the earth can you say to a sixteen year old version of the Dark Lord?_ Ginny wondered. "Tom, please," Ginny said. "Let him speak to me."

"Ginny, are you mad?!" Tom hissed. "Do you have any idea of what he might do?"

Ginny said nothing to Tom, but asked Voldemort, "What is it you wish?"

He walked closer, looking down at her. "You will take the basilisk out tonight, Estella," he told her. "We have a Mudblood to find."

Horror flooded through Tom, and he said, "Don't hurt her!"

Voldemort looked insulted. "I have no intentions of hurting her tonight, Riddle," he said calmly. "I will not be with her. She has seen what happens, and she knows how to do it alone."

"No!" gasped Ginny in shock, and Tom put his arm around her.

Tom's cousin smirked at them, and, with a sudden motion from his hand, made Ginny's wand fly across the room to his hand. "You will do it," he said coldly, pointing the wand at her, "or I will make you do it."

Tears came to Ginny's eyes, and she stared between Tom and his cousin in indecision. Tom thought to her, _You had better make up your mind, or he is going to torture you again._

Ginny began to speak, but Voldemort silenced her non-verbally. She watched him in fright as he snapped an incantation she'd never heard before _(_**Afflictio**). Instantly, pain hit her, and she fell to her knees, trying not to cry out.

Tom watched, struggling to keep from hurrying to help Ginny. He knew that he would probably only make it worse for his little friend. Tom had no idea what the curse was that his cousin had used on Ginny.

"Now, I expect you to carry out your orders by three in the morning," Voldemort told her, returning her voice to her.

Ginny nodded, then gasped in pain. "Yes, I will," she managed. Voldemort gave her back her wand and disappeared.

Immediately, Tom turned to Ginny and reached out a hand toward her. "Tom, don't!" she cried, and he stopped, surprised. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It just hurts to move. Please don't touch me."

Tom nodded, and Ginny asked, "What did he use on me?"

"I'm not sure," Tom replied slowly. "What does it feel like?"

"It's a deep pain," Ginny gasped, for she had moved too quickly again. "It feels like I've been stabbed, and it hurts all over."

He sighed and replied, "It's probably a Dark Arts curse, coming from Voldemort. He may have even created it!

Ginny burst into tears, and cried out, her sobs making her pain worse. Tom knelt by Ginny and whispered, "Ginny, please don't cry. You'll only hurt yourself worse."

She calmed a little, but wept quietly, "What shall I do, Tom? I'm supposed to attack a Mudblood on my own?"

Tom gently placed his hand on hers, and she looked frightened, but sighed when it only hurt for an instant. "Dear Ginny," he murmured softly, "I'm so sorry about this, but it seems that you must go along with what he wants. I know of one Mudblood that is out of bed if you go right now."

"All right," Ginny whispered, "but, Tom, I don't want to attack the Mudbloods!"

With a sigh, Tom told Ginny where the student was, and she summoned Benjy, then hurried into the system of pipes. Ginny walked slowly, for she was still under the curse. Benjy, however, was quite excited, and slithered on ahead, hissing, "Kill...rip...tear...yesss, yesss, kill..."

When Ginny came up to the vent from the pipe to the corridor they were to wait in, Benjy was there waiting patiently. Ginny quickly opened the vent and stepped out first. To Ginny's shock, the Gryffindor House ghost, Headless Nick, was out there, watching her.

"Why, hello, Ginny," he said, and she scowled at him. "Where did you come from?"

"The center of the earth," she snapped at him. "Do you know where Finch-Fletchley is?"

Nick nodded. "He's coming here for some re—"

Ginny saw the greyish white ghost turn into a blackish smoke color, and he said no more. She turned to see Benjy behind her, and sighed, "Seems that my House ghost has seen you."

The basilisk seemed to sigh as well, and asked, "Only the ghost was up here?"

"For now," Ginny replied, "but there is a boy coming that you can deal with."

Benjy seemed happy with those words, and right at that moment, Justin Finch-Fletchley came around the corner. "Hi, Weasley," he said uncomfortably, and she smiled at him wickedly, making him flinch. The next instant, he had seen the basilisk (these dumb students don't know any better than to look into a basilisk's eyes) and toppled to the floor, petrified.

Ginny smiled to herself, then went back through the vent very carefully and headed to the Chamber, Benjy following her. When they entered the main room together, they saw that Tom hadn't moved from his seat.

Tom looked up at Ginny and said nothing, but she nodded to Voldemort. "Done," she said, trying to put up with her pain. "Headless is a pillar of black smoke and Finch-Fletchley is as stiff as a board." Ginny smiled wryly.

He appeared impressed, but Ginny knew he was being sarcastic. "Well done, Estella," he said to her. "And the next time, when I order something of you, you will do it instantly."

Ginny nodded, and he took off the curse, grinning evilly at her. "We can't have anyone knowing about our adventures, can we now?"

She agreed, and he left Tom and Ginny for the time being. Ginny instantly ran to Tom and threw her arms around him, clinging to him desperately. "Tom," she began, a tear sliding down her face, "I enjoyed doing that."

Tom hugged Ginny close and whispered, "One day, you'll be normal again, Ginny."

"This is my new normal, Tom," she said. "I'm not the girl I used to be. I'm—I'm like you now!"

"I don't know if I should be proud or insulted," Tom laughed slightly.

Ginny sighed and replied, "No! What I mean is that I'm not so calm and gentle as I used to be, and—"

"—and not half so naive either," Tom commented.

With a little laugh, Ginny answered, "Of course not. Now, I'm more cold and aloof, just like you!"

Tom smiled. "Are you happy with yourself?" he asked her.

Ginny nodded. "Thank you for helping me, Tom," she said softly, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad that you're here to help me."

* * *

About three days later (five days before Christmas), Hermione came into Ginny's dorm room and said, "Ginny, Percy's calling a meeting for your family, and he wants you right now."

Ginny nodded. "Thanks, Hermione." She wrapped her cloak around herself and hurried out to the Common Room, where the Weasleys were gathering. Percy took them over to a private corner and began to speak.

"I need to write Mum and tell her which of us are going home over Christmas break," he told them. He turned to Ron. "Are you going home?"

"No," Ron replied, "I have to stay with Harry. He hasn't got a home or family for the holidays, you know."

Percy turned to Fred and George and asked, "What about you two?"

George grinned, replying, "Never!"

"We have to make sure Ickle Ronnykins stays out of trouble," Fred laughed, not trying to hide his amusement. Ginny giggled, and the twins winked at her.

With a sigh, Percy said, "Then I guess I'll tell Mum that only Ginny and I are coming home for the holidays."

Ginny could have spit fire. "I'm not going!" she hissed. "You didn't even ask me!"

"Ah, but you will," Percy retorted, and Ron stepped away from the two irritated redheads.

"I will not go," Ginny repeated, "and you can't force me. Don't you remember what happened all the other times you've tried to force me?"

Percy brandished his wand at her in record time, and the twins applauded for him. He scowled at them, then said to his sister, "You will obey me this time, Ginevra."

She glared at him with every ounce of angry energy in her body. "I won't!" she shouted, then quieted her voice, realizing that Harry and Hermione were watching them. "If you make me go, I will tell all the prefects, as well as the Head Boy and Girl, that you lied to them."

"Lied?" scoffed Percy. "Ginny, don't be stupid." Ron and the twins hurried off, content to let their brother and sister argue forever if need be.

"The Slytherin prefects say that I am a good duellist, and that I am excellant with hexes," Ginny told her brother. "You heard them, and told them that they were lying. They were telling the truth, Percy. I had hexed a couple of Slytherin fifth years earlier this year during a duel, and those prefects were the ones. Also, Miskenet is a witness to our duel here in the Common Room: the duel where I disarmed and stunned you." Ginny took a deep breath, for she'd been speaking quickly so Percy couldn't interrupt her. "If you make me go home, I'll tell all the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl that you lied to them."

Percy stared at her. "That's—that's bribery, Ginevra," he stammered.

She glared at him. "Deal?" she demanded.

"Deal," he muttered, "but I'm staying here to keep an eye on you!"

"Fine," Ginny retorted, and walked away, going for a walk outdoors.


	17. Gryffindor Stalking

On Christmas Day, Ginny was staring out her dorm room window, watching snow fall, when Tom called to her (C). _Ginny_, he said excitedly, _there are three students in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom! You should get down to the Slytherin Common Room immediately. Make sure you let your friends know that you're coming._

_Right away, Tom,_ Ginny replied cheerfully. She hurried down the steps of the girls' dorm into the Common Room and out into the corridors of the school. She stepped into an empty room and transfigured the crest on her robes and took the charm off her hair, calling to the Charleston twins, _I need to come down to your Common Room. I'll look just like I did last time._

_All right,_ the girls replied, and Ginny smiled at how faint their voices were (the girls weren't used to communicating through the Channel).

Ginny stepped out of the room and walked proudly down the empty hall. _Ginny, go to the Grand Staircase. There's a passageway there that will take you to the Dungeon entrance,_ Tom told her.

She quickly followed Tom's directions to the Staircase, and was about to open the passageway with the password Tom had given her, when she heard voices. Ginny turned to see her brother Percy confronting Crabbe and Goyle, Draco Malfoy's two thugs.

_Tom, what shall I do?_ Ginny asked him, feeling his amusement over something.

_Do?_ Tom replied. _Do? Wait for—ah, there he is!_

Ginny turned and saw Draco Malfoy swagger up to the other two Slytherin boys and badmouth her brother. She smiled to herself and asked Tom, _What is so amusing about them, Tom?_

Tom laughed in Ginny's mind, then told her, _That Crabbe and Goyle, dear Ginevra, are Harry and your brother Ron! Draco has no idea what he's just swaggered into!_

Ginny gasped out loud, then silenced herself, staring. _Wow, Tom, Granger must have done an exceptional job of brewing the Polyjuice Potion._

Draco led the boys away, taking a different way to the Slytherin Common Room. Tom told Ginny to hurry into the passage, for she would probably arrive at the entrance just before Draco and his "friends" got there.

It was exactly as Tom had said. Ginny stepped out of the passage and a minute later, she heard footsteps. She smiled, noting that Slytherins walk different from the other students. Ginny readied herself to meet Draco and his buddies, and calmly stood close to the wall, around the corner.

When they walked around the corner, Draco nearly smashed into Ginny, and she looked angry for an instant before noting his startled look. "What? Did you think I was the Heir, Draco?" she laughed at him.

His sneer disappeared, and he glared at her. "No," he snapped. "I haven't seen you around here before." He raised an eyebrow

"I am Estella Parkington," Ginny replied easily. _Let Ron and Harry marvel at the power of Slytherin subtlety!_

Draco's sneer came back. "You know that those who sneak around often find more trouble than they were looking for."

Estella shrugged. "I am a pureblood, and the Heir has no issue with me, Draco."

Draco frowned at her and began to speak, but was interrupted by hurried footsteps coming from the dungeons. Brianna and Samantha burst onto the scene, both giggling when they saw Draco. "Hi, Draco," Samantha said before Brianna clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Estella," said Brianna breathlessly, "where have you been? Hurry up!"

She shrugged, smirked at Draco, then hurried into the dungeons, the twins following her. At the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, Estella smiled at the bust of Salazar Slytherin and told him, "_Cruciatus_."

The serpant uncoiled from around the bust, the Common Room opening up for them. Estella smiled at the serpant, then hurried on into the room. She and the twins hurried over to the girls' dorm staircase and up into their dorm.

"Ginny, why—" began Brianna, but Ginny interrupted.

"Brianna, you must always call me Estella when I'm here in the Slytherin Dungeon," she told her friend.

The twins nodded and asked, "Why did you have to come down here?"

Estella smiled, and began, "Today, my brother Ron and his friend Potter are up to something devious."

"Devious?" repeated Samantha. "A Gryffindor, devious? You're cray, Stel."

"Not at all, Samantha," the third girl replied. "They are trying to find out who the Heir of Slytherin is."

The twins burst out laughing, and Brianna managed to gasp, "How do they plan to find that out? Not even the staff knows who the Heir is!

Estella smiled to herself, knowing very well who the Heir was. "They persuaded Granger to brew a Polyjuice Potion so they could take the forms of three Slytherin students and enter your Common Room," Estella explained.

"Are they here now?" gasped Samantha.

Grinning wickedly, Estella nodded. "They are questioning Malfoy about the Heir right now," she said. "Ron is Crabbe, and Harry is Goyle. If you wish, we could watch the three of them from the dormitory staircase."

The twins agreed, but Brianna asked, "Where is Hermione?" She suddenly gasped and drew away from Ginny, drawing her wand. "Don't tell me—!"

Estella shook her head. "No, I'm not Granger. Don't be such a Puff," she told her friend, leading the way to the stairs. "We'll stay here and watch." She and the twins settled on the steps and watched the three Slytherin boys on the couch and chair. At that moment, Megan and Gauge came onto the stairs.

"What's going on?" they asked, and the twins hurriedly explained, Estella shushing them several times.

Megan scowled. "That's mine!" she gasped, seeing Draco Malfoy pick up a small box and put it in his pocket.

"You can deal with him later, can't you, Megan?" asked Estella. "I want to watch my brother and his friend be absolutely ridiculous right now."

The girls giggled and nodded, but Samantha flinched. "Uhhn," she said, "here comes Pansy Parkinson. I hate her. She's an awful one to have as your cousin."

Pansy came onto the staircase, and smirked at the younger girls. "You shouldn't sit there," she said. "You might get...KICKED!" She kicked Estella, then hurried on up the stairs, laughing at them.

Estella tapped her face with her fingers. "She needs to be more careful," she mused to herself, and the twins laughed.

Just then, there was a commotion in the Common Room, and the five girls turned to see Crabbe/Ron and Goyle/Harry run from the room, Draco yelling after them. The girls laughed together, and Estella said, "Thank you, girls. That's what I wanted to see and listen to. Goodbye."

Estella rose from the staircase and hurried back to her own Common Room, changing her appearance on her way there. Avoiding her brother Percy, she slipped back into her dorm room and stayed there in silence until dinnertime.

* * *

At dinnertime, Ginny hurried toward the Great Hall, accidentally smacking into Brianna and Samantha on the way there. They smiled at her, and said, "Our other dorm mates aren't coming. We're going to sit with our cousin Cherea today. She's a Ravenclaw. You should come with us and meet her!"

Ginny agreed, going over to sit with them. Interestingly enough, Cherea Charleston just happened to be sitting next to Luna Lovegood. Luna was not pleased to see the Charleston twins, but Ginny finally convinced her to give them a chance.

Ginny sat between Luna and Brianna, and Samantha was on the other side of Cherea, who was by Brianna. The girls giggled to each other about different things, but Cherea refused to laugh about Lockhart's defeat in the Duelling Club.

"Oh, come on, Cherry," Brianna teased. "It was funny! You know, Lockhart flattened by a Disarming Charm, then very nearly siccing that serpant on Finch-Fletchley! It was gr—"

"It's not funny," snapped Cherea, just as Samantha looked shocked.

She began hesitantly, "Girls, you don't think that Potter sicced the monster on Finch-Fletchley because of what happened at the Duelling Club, do you?"

Ginny snorted into her glass of pumpkin juice. "Of course not!" she said. "Potter couldn't have done it."

"But if he's the Heir of Slytherin—" protested Samantha. "The serpant that went after the Mudblood—"

"Impossible!" snapped Ginny. "Haven't I taught you girls anything? He can't be the Heir of Slytherin for he isn't in Slytherin, he's not a pureblood, and he's not a descendant of Slytherin! Don't be ridiculous!"

"Then why did he send that serpant after Finch-Fletchley?" asked Cherea.

Sighing, Ginny said, "He didn't. He told the serpant to leave Justin alone. Really, girls."

"How do you know that?" Brianna asked.

Ginny leaned over and whispered to the three Charlestons, "I. Am. A. Parselmouth."

"Well, petrify me and call me a Mudblood!" shouted Samantha in surprise, causing several students from the surrounding House tables to stare at the five girls. She lowered her voice and whispered, "Ginny, you can't be serious!"

Ginny nodded, a grin on her face. "Yesss, it'sss true," she hissed softly (P), knowing no one in the Great Hall could understand her (Harry wasn't there).

A delighted grin spread across Samantha's face and she gasped, "That's wonderful, Ginny! Have you talked to serpants yet?"

Nodding, she replied, "I met a serpant at home that I've conversed with, and here—there's a serpant here, but it's in the walls, and it doesn't come out much—I've never seen it, only heard it."

Cherea stared at Ginny carefully. "Cousin," she began, "you are special, no doubt, but are you evil? You know that serpants are used a lot in Dark Arts and that Parseltongue is used primarily by Dark Wizards."

"Yeah, like the Dark Lord, and Salazar Slytherin," Brianna giggled.

"How can you giggle and say, 'The Dark Lord'?" Cherea snapped at her cousin.

Ginny sighed and interrupted them. "No, Cherea, I am not evil. What a funny thought, actually! And, yes, I know Parselmouth history, but I'm not doing Dark Arts, girls. No need to worry about that. Good grief! Do you think Potter is doing Dark Arts just because he's a Parselmouth?"

All four of the girls dissolved into giggles, and Luna looked at them quizzically. They shrugged and giggled harder. Finally, the girls stopped laughing and hurried off together, going to go outside and play in the snow.


	18. Furmione Granger

Ginny was walking into the Gryffindor Common Room a couple days later when she noticed Ron and Harry sitting together, without Hermione. Ginny looked around, but the brown-haired girl was nowhere to be seen.

She decided to ask Ron about it, and caught him by the back of his robe just before he could get up the boys' dorm stairs. "Ron," she began, putting a worried look on her face, "where's Hermione? Is she all right?"

Ron snorted and a grin threatened to break across his face. "She's fine," he said finally, "if you consider coughing up fur-balls fine."

"'Coughing up fur-balls?" Ginny giggled, then looked shocked. "Did she get hexed?"

"No, Ginny, she messed up a potion she was taking, and partially turned herself into a cat," Ron explained. His cover broke and he burst out laughing. "It was funny," he laughed, trying to stop himself. "She has a furry face, and—blimey, Ginny, Hermione's got a tail!"

Ginny laughed again, and released Ron. When she turned back to the rest of the Common Room to cross to her own dorm room stairs, a sudden image of Hermione Granger with a cat face and tail hit her. Ginny giggled all the way across the Common Room, hurrying up the stairs to her room. She threw herself across the bed, laughing hysterically.

Marlene and Marianne shot her dirty looks, but Ginny didn't care. _I'm going to go visit her_, Ginny decided, and felt Tom disapprove.

_Ginny, that might not be a good idea!_ he cautioned her. _Hermione will not appreciate it if you come in to just observe her mishap and started laughing again._

Ginny sighed, then asked, _Can you imagine Hermione as half of a cat, Tom?_

She felt him snicker, and he left her mind very quickly. Ginny smiled to herself, knowing that Tom thought it was hilarious too—he just didn't want her to know.

* * *

"Oh, hi, Madam," Ginny began shyly, "um, I was wondering if I could see Hermione."

The woman frowned, but said, "Oh, all right. Only fifteen minutes." She led Ginny into the wing, and some of the patients sat up to see. "No, no," she scolded them. "Just a visitor for Hermione!"

Ginny smiled at the ones she was acquainted with, and smirked at one of the nasty Slytherin boys: he had not two ears, not three ears, but four! He glared at her, and she giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth and hurrying off to Hermione's bedside.

The bed was curtained off, and Ginny asked quietly, "Hermione?"

"Ginny?" gasped Hermione. "Are—are you alone?"

"No," Ginny replied sarcastically, "I brought all my Slytherin friends with me."

Hermione made a sound that seemed to be a meow/whimper, and Ginny's breath caught in her throat, making her choke and start coughing. When she could speak again, Ginny said, "I am alone, actually. I was worried about you when I didn't see you with Harry and Ron."

"Oh, good," sighed Hermione in relief. "Ginny, you oughtn't to do that."

"Sorry," said Ginny. "So...how are you doing? Ron said it was a bad potion? Did something happen to your Poly—"

Hermione shushed Ginny, but it sounded more like a cat hissing, and Ginny clapped her hand over her mouth, giggling madly, but silently. "Ginny, you must keep quiet about that!" Ginny promised she would, and Hermione continued, "Yes. I picked up cat hairs instead of human hairs. That potion is not made for cross-species transfig, I think."

"Understood," Ginny replied. "Sorry about that. You did a very good job with the other two, though."

Hermione gasped (it sounded like a cat hacking), but ended up coughing up a hairball before she continued, "Ugh! That is horrible! You have no idea, Ginny! Anyway, what do you mean, I did a good job?" She jerked open the bed curtain, and it was all Ginny could do to maintain her calm.

"Uh, um," Ginny stuttered, finally saying, "I noticed that the potion was finished, so I hid and watched for you to come. I saw them come out, but I never saw you come out."

The cat-girl sighed (*le squeak) and replied, "Ginny, don't follow older students around. It'll get you into trouble."

Ginny huffed, and answered, "I'm fine, Hermione. I can take care of myself."

Tom entered Ginny's mind again and said, _Hiyah, Ginny! How's Furmione Granger?_

That was enough. Ginny collapsed to her knees and buried her face in the bedsheets, laughing hysterically. Hermione was mortified, and snapped, "It's not funny, Ginny! It's horrible! Ginny, please—!"

Giggling, she raised her head from the sheets and gasped, "It's too bad that Colin Creevey couldn't be here to take a picture of you!"

"Get out!" Hermione shouted, tears running down her fur. "Get out of here! Madam Pomphrey! Madam Pomphrey!"

Instantly, the woman swooped in, spotted Ginny laughing (hysterical and unable to move) and used a Sobering Charm on her (honestly, it didn't help very much). "Out! OUT!" fussed the Madam at Ginny.

Ginny stumbled out of the Hospital Wing, still giggling.


	19. Truth and Vengeance

That night, when Ginny went to visit Tom in the Chamber, he seemed both pleased and irritated with her. "You look tired, Ginny," he commented the instant he laid eyes on her. "Are you all right?"

Ginny nodded, but sighed, "I've just been so tired, Tom. I can fall asleep at any moment, and it's a fight to stay awake! Even an Awakening Charm doesn't much help me in class!"

Tom put his arm around Ginny's shoulders and she looked up at him carefully. "Tom, you don't look so indistinct anymore," she told him. "Your outline is more solid now." He looked down at himself, then back at Ginny, worried. "I'm sure it's all right," she assured him, but he shook his head.

"Ginny, the only way that I could be getting stronger is if I take your life force from you," Tom told her bluntly. "I'm killing you."

"No!" Ginny shouted, pulling away from him. "That can't be!"

He sighed deeply. "Ginevra, listen to me very carefully," he said to her. "No! Face me when I'm speaking!"

She turned to him, fright in her eyes. "Tom, please—" she begged, but he hushed her and continued.

"Ginny, the only way either Voldemort or I can control someone from the journal is if they put trust in us and allow us to give to each other in a friendship," Tom began. "You and I have told each other nearly everything. Ginny, we know each other better than anyone else knows us. We've helped each other make hard decisions, and we practically are part of each other now—if you know what I mean.

Ginny nodded, plain fear in her eyes. "Tom, no," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Ginny!" Tom cried. "I would never have come to you if I'd understood what was going to happen to you! Now that I have so much control over you, I can probably make you do anything—not that I would! And I'm taking your life from you, Ginny."

She burst into tears and collapsed to the ground. "What will we do?" she sobbed. "Oh, what can we do, Tom?"

He knelt down by her and wrapped his arms around her gently, but firmly. "Ginny, you must get rid of the journal," he told her. She protested, but he clapped his hand over her mouth and she submitted immediately. "I—I'm going to—to leave your mind," he added, trying to be strong. "You must leave the Chamber and never come back."

"Tom, no," she sobbed, burying her face in his chest, "don't leave me. Please, Tom!"

"Ginny," he murmured, holding her tightly, "I'm doing this for you. I don't want you to be destroyed because of me."

Ginny clung to Tom, sobbing inconsolably. "I don't care!" she sobbed heartbrokenly. "I won't leave you!"

Tom sighed and caressed Ginny very gently. She didn't seem to notice his caresses (for he had never caressed her before) , but just wept in Tom's arms. Finally, he stood, lifting her to her feet. "Come, Ginny," he said tenderly, "you must leave."

She struggled against him, and screamed tiredly, "I won't! I won't leave you—oh, Tom, don't make me! I want to stay with you, and I don't care what happens!"

He stopped for an instant, and held the sobbing, shaking girl very close. "But, Ginevra, I do care," he whispered to her. "You are young, and I am not. You have a long life ahead of you, and I do not. You must go, Princess; I'm doing this for you."

"But why?" she sobbed. "Why must you do this? You'll be alone, and your cousin—oh, Tom—he'll—"

Tom put a finger to Ginny's lips and quieted her. "I will be fine," he replied. "I'm doing this because—because I love you, Ginevra. I love you, as no one I've ever known before. I want to save you because of that; even if I can't have you, there's probably another out there that will love you, Princess."

She stared into his eyes, noting that his fascade was slowly cracking. A tear ran down his cheek, and he gathered her in a tight hug. "I love you," he choked. "Please remember me, Ginevra. Goodbye."

"I'll always remember you, Tom," Ginny sobbed. "Goodbye." She pulled out of his embrace and fled from the Chamber, not trusting herself to look back.

* * *

Ginny ran through the corridors haphazardly, not caring where she went or who found her. She was sobbing wildly, thinking about what had happened. Finally, she burst into an empty classroom and threw herself to the floor, sobbing violently into her arms. She did not know how long she lay there, but when she got up, her tears slowed, she did not recognize the room at all.

Stepping out into the hall, she looked both ways, but did not recognize her surroundings at all. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that she was alone in finding her way back to her Common Room.

_Tom can't help me anymore,_ she realized. _I need him!_

She resumed her running through the halls, and only stopped when she was hit with a Stunning Spell. Awaking, she looked up and saw her brother and some random girl. "Percy," she began strangely, "where am I?"

Percy turned to her from the girl and snapped, "You were in the sixth year corridors, Ginevra. What were you doing there?"

Ginny scowled at him, but didn't reply. The girl stepped forward, and Ginny recognized a Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater. "You're in a classroom very close to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Sorry I stunned you, but I wasn't sure who you were or what you were up to."

"Right," Ginny said. "I was lost."

Penelope nodded understandingly, and helped Ginny up. "I'll take you back to your Common Room," she told the younger girl.

Ginny shook her head. "No thanks. Percy's a Gryffindor, and you're not, and our Common Room is out of your way—wait a minute!" She stared at Percy, and snapped, "Your patrol is not tonight! What are you doing—"

"It changed!" Percy interrupted angrily, and Penelope shot him a strange look.

_He lied,_ Ginny understood to herself. _And she's got something to do with this. I'll have to see what they're up to._ "All right, Percy. I'll go with Penelope then."

"No. I'll take you." The red-haired boy took Ginny by the arm and prepared to lead her off.

"No!" Ginny protested. "I think Penelope can handle me better!"

Percy looked embarrassed and irritated. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, you are coming with me, and I will not take any arguement from you. Get moving," he hissed at her.

Ginny shot out the door and ran down the hall, not stopping until she stood in front of the portrait-hole. She gave the password, hurried into the room, then ran up the dorm stairs to her room, jumping into bed.

_I despise him! I'll never listen to him! Tom taught me how to get around Percy's idiocrasy, and I won't let my adopted brother push me around!_

* * *

The next morning, Ginny put the journal in her pocket and walked silently through the halls. She was not going to eat breakfast that morning, for she had to deal with the journal. She headed toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, her heart aching for Tom.

Entering the bathroom, she reached into her pocket and touched the journal: it made her tingle as usual, and she smiled sadly. Ginny drew it out, hurried to one of the stalls, and threw it into one of the toilets, knowing very well that Moaning Myrtle was there and wouldn't like it. Ginny dashed out of the bathroom very quickly.

Walking down the hall toward her Charms class, she thought, _I should be protecting him, not placing him out in the open for anyone to find._ She sighed to herself. _I—I really should go back and get it. I also just stuck the Dark Lord in a toilet!_

Giggling just a little, she walked into her classroom, but quieted almost instantly, seating herself.

* * *

"No," Ginny gasped later that day as Rishka and her boyfriend advanced on her, their wands drawn. She couldn't stop them as they both fired curses at her. She soon lay on the floor, trying to be strong.

_I can't be strong without Tom,_ her mind screamed, and Ginny tried to drown it out, but couldn't.

"Now," hissed the Slytherin boy, "that is what happens to first years like you. They get reproved. You will not hex Rishka anymore!"

"I don't have to listen to you!" Ginny shouted angrily, and received a non-verbal wand-slap. She cried out in pain, but refused to give in. _I still have a Gryffindor part of me,_ she thought proudly to herself.

The boy towered over her. "You want to learn Slytherin dominance the hard way, Weasley?" He grabbed her by the front of her robes and slammed her against the wall, making her gasp in pain as her head hit the stones. "You will never hex Rishka again. Do you understand?"

Ginny shook her head miserably, and the Slytherin boy slapped her harshly across the face, making her begin to weep. "No," Ginny wept, "I am my own person, and I was set against her. It is not my fault that I defeated her, for it was not my deci—oh!"

He slapped her several times in succession, and Rishka started laughing when Ginny sobbed, "No, please stop!" Just as Ginny couldn't take anymore, Miskenet came around the corner. "Help me," Ginny sobbed before the boy smacked her again.

Miskenet drew her wand and, without hesitation, blasted the boy away from Ginny, who sank to the ground. "Get out of here," the Gryffindor prefect snapped at the Slytherin girl. "This will be reported to the Professors!"

Rishka ran, and Miskenet knelt beside Ginny, who had her hands over her face, crying heartbrokenly. "Ginny, Ginny, please let me see it," murmured the older girl. "I want to help you."

Ginny looked up, and Miskenet healed Ginny's face, removing the handprints and the pain. "Thank you," whispered Ginny. "I couldn't get away. They're so nasty!"

"I'm sorry that you have to put up with them," sighed Miskenet. "If they ever do this again, let me know. I won't let this go unpunished." Ginny stood and sighed, feeling very dizzy. She nearly fell to the ground again, but Miskenet caught her. "Are you sure you don't need to go to the Hospital Wing?" Miskenet asked her in concern.

Ginny reassured her friend that she only needed time to recover from the excitement, and Miskenet escorted Ginny to her dorm room, making sure she was all right before leaving.

Feeling completely alone, Ginny's tears returned, and she wept without hesitation. _I need Tom,_she sobbed in her mind. _I can't survive without him; I want him back! I want to hear his voice again. Oh, Tom, I miss you so much!_

* * *

From his place in the Chamber, Tom watched Ginny weeping, and a single tear ran down his cheek. He already missed her more than he'd ever thought it was possible to miss someone. He knew that he could never return to Ginny, and that she would eventually turn to someone else.

Jealous of the someone else (whom Tom knew to be Potter), he wanted her back, and wanted her all to himself. _No Harry Potter, no Mum and Dad Weasley, no Weasley brothers, no Gryffindors to hold her back, no Lord Voldemort to put Ginny's life in dange_r...oh, Tom could go on forever. _I'm too selfish. But I love you, Princess—and I hate those Slytherin prefects. I swear to Salazar that I'll make them regret what they did to you, my sweet Ginny._


	20. Valentine Fools' Day

When Ginny awoke the next morning, she found a piece of paper on her nightstand, and opened it carefully. It seemed to be a map of the school! Ginny hugged the paper to herself, knowing that only Tom would have given her such a wonderful gift. When she lifted the paper to her face, she could have sworn that it whispered, "I love you, Ginevra."

Tears gathering in her eyes, she replied, "Thank you, Tom." She then quieted, folded the paper and put it in her pocket.

She'd come up with a new plan during the night: she was going to go get the journal back, and keep it no matter what Tom said. Once she was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, she looked around for the journal, but it was nowhere to be found.

Myrtle floated up and whined, "What are you doing?" but Ginny refused the ghost an answer and left the ghost very unhappy.

_Where could it be?_ Ginny wondered. _Who found it? Did Filch find it? Oh, I wish I'd thought of that! Tom would have never let me be so stupid!_

* * *

A couple days later, Miskenet hurried up to Ginny and giggled, "Those two Slytherin prefects that attacked you are in sooo much trouble! They're both serving detention for two weeks straight! Isn't that great?"

Ginny smiled and nodded, but Miskenet continued, "Some of their Slytherin friends are saying that they're jinxed! One said that she'd seen Rishka chased by a suit of armour holding an axe, and one boy mentioned that he'd seen floorboards shift and trip both of them for no reason!"

"That's wonderful!" Ginny sighed. _Tom, thank you so much!_ she called to him as best she could, for he was blocking her from entering his mind anymore.

Miskenet laughed and added, "Exactly! They're getting what they deserve for once! Now, how about teaching me that hex you used on me?"

"All right," Ginny replied, a slight smile on her face. "Let's find an empty classroom so that we aren't seen by anyone." They walked off together, and Tom smiled on Ginny, very pleased with her.

* * *

Brianna raced up to Ginny. "Be very careful, Ginny," she gasped. "Some of the fourth years are teaching the first years some horrible hexes! They're going to come after you for laughing at the four-eared boy in the Hospital Wing!"

"How do you know about that?" Ginny asked her cousin.

Shifting her weight in guilt, the black-haired girl replied, "I did it to him. With a little help from Megan Sage. She's good at hexes, Gin. Just—be careful. That boy isn't happy with you at all."

Ginny nodded and hurried off.

* * *

That very day as Ginny was going toward the Great Hall for supper, two Slytherin boy jumped out at her, wands drawn. She stared at them stupidly, unmoving. "**Furnunculus**!" shouted the one, and laughed hysterically when pimples sprouted on Ginny's face. She ran from them and quickly undid the jinx.

_Great_, she thought to herself. _I'm always going to have trouble like this now!_

Ginny was correct. Then next day, two other boys did the same thing to her, except they used both the Jelly Legs Jinx and the Pimple Jinx at the same time, causing Ginny to sprout tentacles on her face. She burst into tears and ran off, running to the Hospital Wing.

When Percy came to pick her up, he asked, "Why are you so intent on getting yourself into trouble, Ginny?"

"I didn't," she protested tiredly. "I didn't do anything to them but laugh at one of the fourth years. They just jump out from behind statues and things, and hex or jinx me! I can't help it, Percy!"

He scowled at her, not believing her for an instant, and quickly escorted her to their Common Room.

* * *

Sitting at the Gryffindor House table, Ginny watched her Slytherin friends laugh and talk together. She sighed and was about to turn to her food when Lockhart danced into the room.

_Pink?_ Ginny's mind screamed as she gawked at the horrid sight. _Why is that dumbchuck wearing pink robes?! Oh, yeah, I forgot. It's nearing Valentine's Day, and that's Lockhart's favourite holiday._

Lockhart, blunderer that he was, announced that he had commissioned some dwarfs to deliver Valentines throughout the school, and commented that he was sure that his "other colleagues would be happy to help students create Entrancing Enchantments or whip up batches of Love Potions."

Ginny stared in annoyance and disbelief. She noticed that Professor Flitwick (her Charms professor) was hiding his face in his hands, and that Professor Snape looked like he wanted to kill someone, preferably Lockhart. Ginny grinned at the thought, then stared as the dwarfs unhappily shuffled into the room.

The dwarfs were wearing golden wings and were carrying harps! The sight of them made Ginny ill, but she heard Brianna shout, "Aw! They're so cute!" Giggling, Ginny turned back to her food and tried to ignore the pink and red heart confetti raining down from the ceiling.

Tom, who was still watching over Ginny, smiled at her sadly. She thought almost exactly like him: he had trained her well.

* * *

Ginny sat on her bed, thinking about Valentine's Day. She still fancied Potter, and was debating whether or not she should send him a Valentine.

_It would be so embarrassing,_ she thought to herself, _to have a dwarf tell Harry who sent it. I don't even know what to write to him! I wish Tom—oh, Tom!_

Ginny instantly remembered that Tom disliked Potter very much, and probably would not help her write to him at all. _He might, though, for me. But Tom might be so upset with me!_ Ginny sighed and curled up on her bed. She knew that Tom would be extremely jealous if she sent Potter a Valentine. _Tom told me he loves me,_ Ginny thought, tears coming to her eyes, _and he would hate if I turned to Harry. But Tom's not coming back! He can't come to me anymore! I can't focus on Tom; he's out of the question._

She sniffled a little, trying to hold back her tears, and sat up, reaching for her quill and parchment.

Tom watched as Ginny wrote on the parchment, her hand shaking and often dashing away tears. Tom's cousin stood beside him, watching Tom watch Ginny. "Well, Riddle," Tom's cousin said, "you've lost her to Potter."

"He. Hasn't. Got. Her," Tom snapped angrily. His cousin quieted, and Tom saw Ginny rip up the parchment, then pull out a new one. She wrote quickly, still dashing away tears so they would not drip on the parchment.

Tom smiled at the room he and his cousin were in. "It's like a Muggle security camera system," he said suddenly, and his cousin burst out laughing.

"How would you know?"

"Because I've been in your head, and you've lived in the Muggle World," Tom replied.

His cousin scowled. "Don't go there," he snarled.

Tom shrugged and touched the wall of the room. "Didn't mean to insult you if I did," he said.

The wall flashed several colours where he'd touched it, seeming to be pleased.

Tom turned back to watching Ginny, who was now re-reading her Valentine. He felt sorry for her (even though he did not want her to send Potter a Valentine), for Ginny threw the Valentine into the trash, unsatisfied with it, and threw herself onto her bed, beginning to weep.

"Oh, Ginny," he sighed, and his cousin snorted. Tom turned and hexed his cousin out of the room with an unblockable Pureblood Barrier. Turning back to Ginny, he saw and heard her sob, "I miss you, Tom."

His heart hurt, for he truly loved her. Fighting his desire to go to her, he allowed his presence to surround Ginny and try to comfort her. Unfortunately for Ginny, it made her miss Tom even more, and she cried herself to sleep.

When Tom was sure that Ginny was asleep, he went to her dorm room and lifted the curtain on Ginny's bed, sitting down on the bed. He stroked her back for a minute, then gently touched her cheek with his finger. He placed his hand on her back, then leaned down and kissed her soft cheek. He lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her carefully, not waking her.

Ginny stirred slightly, and Tom felt her relax in his arms. He pulled the blanket up over them, scowling at the Gryffindor House colours and changing them instantly. Ginny felt cold to him, and he tucked the blanket around her before relaxing and falling asleep.

* * *

Tom left Ginny very early the next morning, before she woke up. When she did awake, she felt comforted, although she did not know why.

As Ginny was heading into Charms class the next morning, she saw her brother Ron and his two friends standing together. Her face turned pink as she remembered what she had almost done the night before.

While she was thinking about that, she heard a dwarf proclaim, "This Valentine is for Harry Potter!" Ginny turned to watch, wondering who had actually sent Harry a Valentine. To her amusement, Harry ran away from the dwarf.

The dwarf, since he and his friends had taken to chasing down people and singing or reading their Valentines to them, chased Harry and tripped him, scattering Harry's books all over the floor. He sat on him and shouted the Valentine's message for all the students in the hall to hear.

To Ginny's great shock and embarrassment, the Valentine was word-for-word what she herself had written the night before! Ginny's ears turned red, and Draco Malfoy laughed at her and commented that Ginny must have sent it to Potter.

Just then, Ginny noticed a little black book just as Malfoy did. "Hey, Potter!" taunted Malfoy, "writing in a journal? How about I read it?" Malfoy picked up the book and Ginny's face went pale. It was Tom's journal.

"Give it back!" shouted Harry, pointing his wand at Draco as Ron and Hermione picked up the scattered books and papers. Draco refused, and Harry levitated the book over to Hermione, who caught it.

Ginny was angry that Hermione was touching the journal, and she was absolutely furious that Potter had the journal and she was not pleased with Draco's insinuating that she'd sent the note to Harry. She also hated the person who had sent the Valentine.

"Harry, no magic is to be done in the hallway between classes." Ginny turned and saw Percy, confiscating the journal for a little while.

_All right, Weasley,_ Ginny snapped at him, _how about in the halls during classes? And you sound like Filch. Jiust shut up. Shut UP! Oh, I'm so embarrassed!_

Ginny fled into the Charms classroom and instantly saw two of her dorm mates leaning against the wall, laughing. _Stupid half-bloods_, Ginny thought to herself. She then realized that they were the ones who had sent the Valentine to Harry!

She instantly stepped in front of them and snapped, "Why did you do it?"

"Because you're so annoying," Marlene replied with a smirk. "We had to get back at you for all the times you've done horrible things to us."

"Like now?" Ginny hissed, and drew her wand. She heard the professor begin to shout something, but she pointed her wand at the girls and screamed, **"Vermus Nez!"**

She smiled happily at the two screaming girls on the floor, the Slytherin boys laughing at the enmity between the Gryffindor girls. Professor Flitwick finally got Ginny's attention and took points away from Gryffindor, adding, "That was a very well-done hex, Ms. Weasley. Please see me after class."

Ginny nodded and sat down in her seat, watching as he took the hex off the two girls.

* * *

After class was dismissed and everyone had left, she walked up to the professor's desk and stood there a moment. He asked her, "Ms. Weasley, have you ever thought of making your own hexes?"

"No, I haven't," she replied, "but I'm sure I could."

Professor Flitwick nodded and gave her written permission to go to the Restricted Section in the library. He gave her a few hints on how to create hexes, and a few ideas of what kind of hexes she could make. "Do let me know what you create," he told her. "For the other staff will not appreciate violent, life-threatening hexes."

"Of course, Professor," Ginny replied. "Thank you."

Ginny went on to her next class, which happened to be Potions. She would have been late, except that Tom had taught her the shortcuts. She walked into the classroom just as class started, and Snape only sneered at her (to her amazement).

Professor Snape announced (not trying to hide his disdain for Lockhart) that he would not be making Love Potions to help any student at all. He looked squarely at Ginny when he said that, and Ginny wondered if he knew what her dorm mates had done!

Riker looked at Ginny and grinned wickedly. While they were working on their potion together (they were beginning the Forgetfulness Potion which they would be having a much longer class to wait for it to brew so they could finish it), Riker whispered to Ginny, "We are going to send Lockhart a nasty Valentine commenting on his stupidity and something like that. Can you write it for us? The twins said you have the creativity to do so."

Ginny grinned, and immediately began thinking of how to put their opinions of Lockhart into a very insulting little ditty. She took a piece of paper and began to write:

_Incorrigible old git,_

_We don't like you, not a bit._

_You teach Defense Against Dark Arts,_

_But vanish away our body parts!_

_All of us will come to harm_

_For you can't block a Disarming Charm!_

_You can't have done what you said in your books,_

_For you still have astonishing looks._

_Worse braggart than a Slytherin,_

_With your skills you will never win_

_A duel: for we all know_

_You're way too slow_

_To make a go at any of us._

_Oh! Puh-lease don't fuss;_

_This is the only one (maybe)_

_You'll receive like this._

_Happy Valentine's Day!_

_—__and may the Heir come after you!_

Giggling quietly, Ginny handed the note to Riker, and she grinned, passing it over to the twins, and then on to Megan and Guage. When it was passed back to Ginny, she folded it up and was about to put it in her pocket when Snape snapped, "Weasley, you may stand and read that note to the class."

Startled, Ginny looked up, then grinned and jumped to her feet. "Certainly, Professor," she said calmly. She read it easily, in a mocking tone, and received shouts of laughter from the boys in the room, as well as the Slytherin girls.

Finished reading, she looked up at Snape. "We were going to sign it and send it to him by one of the dwarfs, too," she told him.

"Let us sign it!" shouted the boys together. "Let us sign it!"

Snape yelled for silence, and they quieted. "You will let them sign it, then you will bring it up here, Weasley," he told Ginny.

She nodded, and passed it over to Harper, one of the Slytherin boys. "You don't have to sign your real name," she told them.

When the Gryffindor boys had signed it, laughing, one of them handed it to Marlene. She shot Ginny a rude look, and Ginny drew her wand, summoning the parchment to herself again just before Marlene tried to tear it up. Pocketing her wand, Ginny stood, tossed her hair at Marlene, and took the parchment up to Professor Snape.

He placed it on his desk and told Ginny to go back to her seat. After class, she went up to him and he snapped, "What do you want?"

"I want my parchment back," she stated. "I want to send it today, preferably while everyone is at supper."

Snape scowled at her for a moment, then handed the note back to her. "I am not responsible for this, Weasley."

"Professor," Ginny nodded at him, then turned and left.

The girls were waiting for her as usual (with all the boys as well, shocker of shockers), and she told them, "He is going to let us do it, but we must take responsibility for it. According to him (but not in so many words), he never saw it."

They nodded solemnly, and Ginny went and tracked down one of the dwarfs. She told him, "Please give this to Professor Lockhart while we are at dinner. I hope to get a good reaction out of him: this one is not nice at all. If you are asked about who sent it, tell him that Estella Parkington gave it to you, and that the ones who signed it are not really responsible for it."

The dwarf grinned wickedly and hurried off. At that moment, someone grabbed Ginny's shoulder, and she whirled around. Percy was there, giving her a disapproving look. "Ginny, if you're going to double-time, you had better stop it right now."

She looked at him through half-closed eyes and replied, "Shut up, Weasley. I didn't send that Valentine earlier."

"Oh, sure," he answered sarcastically, "and your name isn't Ginevra Molly Weasley either."

"You're right," Ginny said calmly. "It isn't." Ginny turned and walked off, leaving Percy standing there.


	21. Return and Petrification

_I must get the journal back from Percy,_ Ginny thought. _I don't even know if he still has it. I'll have to follow him and find out._

So Ginny followed her brother very, very carefully, trying to figure out if he still had the journal. One night, she saw him leave the common room and was very suspicious, for she knew it wasn't his patrol night.

She hurried after him, putting a Disillusionment Charm on herself so that he wouldn't see her unless he was really, really paying attention. Percy went into a room that Ginny didn't recognize, and she thought about for a moment, then opened the door a crack, silently peeking into the room.

A gasp of shock escaped her, for what should be going on in the room but snogging! Percy and the girl jumped back from each other and Percy put his glasses back on. "Ginevra!" he yelled at her angrily, "what are you doing here?!"

Still staring at Percy and Penelope, the girl she'd seen Percy with before, she giggled, "You have a girlfriend, Percy? You?" _Stuck-up, book-wormy you?—well, Penelope is a Ravenclaw._

Percy took Ginny by the wrist and slammed her against the wall, his wand at her throat. "You will not tell anyone about this, Ginevra, or I will write Mother about what you've been doing all year long," he ordered her.

Ginny looked defiantly right into her brother's face. "You sound like a Slytherin, I don't take bribes from prefects, and I have gotten away with what I've been doing all year and a letter to Mother isn't going to stop me!"

Penelope pulled Percy away from Ginny and said, "Ginny, please! You don't know what it's like—"

"—to be laughed at no matter what you do?" Ginny finished. "That's what happens to stuck-up prefects: they generally get laughed at. And anyway, Percy, there is no way you can stop me from saying anything. I'm not at your mercy: you and your girlfriend are at mine."

Ginny ran out of the room and fled to her dorm room. _I hate when he tries to control me! I won't listen to him! I WON'T!_

* * *

Ginny sat in the Gryffindor Common Room a couple months later, tired and depressed. Evidently, her brother did not have the journal anymore, for she had searched his room several times for it and hadn't found it.

She sighed and tried to consentrate on her homework, but found that she couldn't. She suddenly realized that if Percy didn't have the journal than he must have given it back to Harry! Ginny took a quick look around the Common Room. She knew that Harry, Ron, and Neville were somewhere out in the castle, and noticed Dean and Seamus sitting together in the Common Room.

Ginny got up and entered the stairwell to the boys' dorm, careful to make sure that no one saw her. She hurried to the second years' dorm room and quickly entered, looking around. She spotted Ron's trunk right away, and hurried to the bed beside it, hurridly searching for the journal.

In her frenzied search, she things left and right as she looked for the journal. Finally, Ginny found it, and clutched it to herself with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered to it, "but I'll never let you go again.

Turning to leave, she finally noticed the mess she'd made in the room and sighed to herself. She hurried to the door, turned and drew her wand, cleaning up most of the mess in the room. She left, hurrying straight to her dorm room. She put the journal under her pillow to keep it safe, and curled up in her bed.

_I don't think Tom would be happy with me,_ she thought to herself, _but I'd rather keep him safe than to have Tom's cousin tell Potter everything that I've told Tom!_

* * *

A few nights later, as Ginny sat on her bed stroking the journal's cover, a strong desire to return to the Chamber came to her, and she immediately stood and dressed to leave, pulling her cloak snugly around her. Slipping her journal into her pocket, she hurried down to the Chamber and walked into the main room.

"Tom, are you here?" she called. "Tom?" She walked around in the room, wondering where Tom was.

A door slammed. A quick movement caught her eye and she turned to see Tom come out of one of the side rooms she'd never been in before. "Tom!" she cried happily and ran toward him to throw her arms around him.

Before she could, he caught her by the arms and hissed, "Ginny, I told you to get rid of the journal and never come back to the Chamber of Secrets. Did you misunderstand me?"

Shocked, she pulled back, but Tom shook her arm warningly and she stopped. "No, Tom," she gasped, tears coming to her eyes, "please don't be angry."

He still looked upset, and a tear slipped down Ginny's cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered, bowing her head in shame. "I had to come back: I wanted to see you." Tom sighed and drew her close to himself as she began to weep openly. "Tom, I can't leave you. I need you! And I couldn't let Harry keep the journal: I had to steal it back."

"It's all right." When Tom said that, Ginny buried her face in Tom's robes and sobbed. "Oh, Ginny," he sighed, "I've missed you so much. I know why you did what you did, but you shouldn't have done it. You're just in so much danger when you're here."

"I'm sorry," wept Ginny. "I didn't actually send that note to Harry, and I didn't mean to—"

"Ginny, it's okay," Tom interrupted gently. "I know. I've been watching over you from here in the Chamber. I couldn't let you be hurt. I sent Miskenet to help you with Rishka and that boy, and I've been watching over you to make sure no harm befalls you."

She clung to him tightly as he took her into one of the side rooms of the Chamber and sat down, drawing her onto his lap. She made a little exclamation of surprise, but he reassured her, and she calmed down, relaxing in his arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "I've missed having someone care like you do, and I'm sick of constantly battling my brothers and everyone around me."

"Well, I'll help you, Princess," he told her. "Don't worry about them anymore."

"All right," she sighed. Tom held her close for a while until she said, "I should go now, Tom. But please—please stay with me!"

Tom nodded. "I will. I'm so sorry that I've dragged you into such a disaster."

Ginny slipped off of Tom's lap and stood, Tom leading her toward the main room. Upon entering the main room, they found Tom's cousin leaning against one of the serpant statues, waiting for them.

"Ah, Estella," he said tonelessly. "Tonight you will go after Granger."

Tom looked horrified, and Ginny jumped up and down in excitement. "Okay! I've been waiting for an excuse to get her!" She jumped around Voldemort until he told her to get busy. She (on impulse) threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug before dancing off to summon Benjy.

A shocked expression on his face, Voldemort looked over at Tom, who was swearing under his breath (P). "Why did she just do that? Doesn't she know that she should respect me?"

Grinning, Tom replied, "She respects you about as much as Bellatrix Lestrange adores you, cousin. Ginny knows respect: she's just excited about Granger's impending doom."

Ginny came bouncing back into the room, Benjy slithering after her. "Okay," she said. "I'm going now. Bye!"

Tom stopped her. "First of all, Ginny," he began, "_he_ [pointing at his cousin] does not appreciate your hugging him—"

"Why not?" Ginny interrupted. "He needs it, just like you did."

"Ginny, he's not a normal person," Tom told her patiently. "He's the Dark Lord. Besides, he was conceived under a Love Potion and therefore can't show affection toward anything but himself. You shouldn't waste your time with him. And I don't like seeing you that close to him anyway."

Voldemort was very annoyed. "Would you not talk about me as if I'm not here?" he snapped.

Ginny apologized, and Tom returned to his earlier statement. "So, one, don't hug him, and two, I want you to change your appearance before you leave here." She asked him if he would, and he nodded, taking out his wand.

When Tom had Ginny all ready, she hugged him, then called Benjy to follow her through the pipes as she walked through the halls. "She's one of the most insurgent witches I have ever dealt with," said Tom's cousin, "par with her mother Meretta and cousin Bellatrix. But they're not rebellious toward me, and Estella is."

Tom smiled. "I'm sure Ginny would be pleased to know that you've likened her to one of your best Death Eaters," he said.

At that moment, Estella was walking by the D.A.D.A. classroom. She jumped a kilometer when Lockhart came out. He jumped as well, startled, then asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Estella Parkington," she replied.

He scowled. "You're responsible for that note I received?" he asked.

She nodded, and he threatened to give her detention. "Oh, Professor," she said, "I thought you'd be pleased that I put so much thought into it! See, I had to make it rhyme, and the only way I could was to make it sound a bit rude. It does say something about how you still look good though."

Lockhart grinned a silly grin and ran a hand through his hair. "So why are you out here?"

Estella sighed. "I came to see if you were still here, for I was wondering about speaking with you. I was also about to head to the library to look at books about you."

"Ah, well, thank you for your loyalty," he said to her, sounding very impressed with her (and himself). "Why don't you come into my office and I'll see if I can give you one of my published works."

"Oh, but I have nearly all of them," she said easily. "They were almost all on the booklist, you know."

Lockhart smiled his cheesy smile and ushered Estella into his office. She remained standing as he reached into his trunk and pulled out a book entitled _Magical Me_. She realized that it was the book that he'd been signing in Flourish and Botts!

"Here," he said, setting the book down on his desk. "You may have this. And...I'll sign it for you..." He picked up his peacock quill and signed his name in a very fancy cursive. "There you go," he said, picking it up and handing it to her. "And if you're going to send me another note, try to make it more...I don't know..."

"Flattering?" Estella asked, trying to hide her sarcasm. "If I decide to write another, I'll see what I can do." She stood and left, taking the book with her. She called to Benjy just to make sure he'd stayed with her, and he had.

"You're so good, Benjy," she told him. "I'm just sorry that you have to be involved in all this."

Benjy sounded surprised when he replied, "Basilisks down through the ages have been used like this. I am not the first to be like this, but I am the first to terrorize a school! And I really don't mind it. When I killed that whiny girl a few years ago, I was allowed to eat part of her before the Dark one stopped me. I'm used to it, Child."

Estella felt quite sick inside, and said, "If we kill anyone tonight, Benjy, please don't eat them!"

"As you wish, Child," he replied.

Just then they came up to the library corridor and Estella informed the serpant, "I'm going to go see if Granger is in here. I'll be back soon."

Benjy agreed and Estella stepped into the library quietly. Madam Pince spotter her instantly and asked, "What are you looking for, girl?"

"I'm looking for Hermione Granger," Estella replied. "Have you seen her?" _I have a surprise for her!_

"Yes. She left books on that table," said the Madam, pointing. "She never does that! Of all the students, she is the most respectful to the books! And she left them sprawled all over the table! I don't know when she left, but I will have a word with her about this!"

Estella nodded in agreement. "Sorry about that," she said. "Do you want me to pick up the books for you?"

Madam Pince eyed her suspiciously. "Slytherins do not offer to do nice things for others. Come to think of it, Slytherins do not look for Hermione Granger!"

"I guess I'm a different kind of Slytherin," Estella replied. "Would you like me to put away the books?"

The Madam nodded, and Estella walked off quickly. Picking up one of the books on the table, she read the cover. "_Magical Creatures_. Huh. What would she be doing with that?" Estella wondered out loud. "_Dangers of Little Known Creatures._" Estella grinned at the cover, which was attempting to look creepy.

A sudden thought hit her, and she knew. _Granger is researching the Monster of Slytherin. She must have found out that he's a basilisk! I have to get to her right now!_

She quickly put the books back on the shelf and thanked Madam Pince, leaving the library. Telling Benjy to follow her, she decided to head down toward Professor McGonagall's office. She knew that Granger would have gone directly there once she realized what the monster was.

Walking purposefully down the hall, Estella soon heard voices, and stopped to listen. She heard Granger speaking to another girl, whom she recognized as Penelope, Percy's girlfriend. Estella quietly allowed Benjy to come out into the hall.

Estella purposely made her footsteps echo in the halls so that the two girls would look around the corner. Two mirrors and two hands appeared around the corner, and she grinned wickedly, raising her hand in greeting.

"Um, who are you?" asked Hermione, walking forward with Penelope behind her.

"I am Estella Parkington," she answered, "and I have a surprise for you!"

At that moment, Benjy slithered around the corner, and Penelope screamed before collapsing to the floor, petrified (she'd seen Benjy's eyes through the mirror she had). Hermione looked shocked, and stared at Estella. "Are you—?" she gasped, and Estella shook her head, drawing her wand. "What are you doing?" Hermione cried. "Don't you know it's illegal to do these things?"

Benjy was amused, and hissed, "She's not too smart, is she?"

Hermione heard the hissing and looked up, catching sight of the basilisk's eyes through the reflection in the lamp. She fell to the floor, still holding her mirror in her hand. Estella sighed and touched the stiff girl's hand, feeling a little bad. "Necessary, you know," she told Granger, "for survival. At least you didn't die, and you'll be able to be revived."

Estella heard a door open and slam shut. She hissed to Benjy and took refuge with him in the pipes, watching to see who was coming. It was Professor McGonagall who found Hermione and Penelope. Estella turned and walked quietly away, Benjy slithering after her.

Once she had returned to the Chamber, she told Tom's cousin, "Granger's petrified, and so's the other girl that was there, Penelope."

Voldemort looked quite happy. "Two of them! Well done, Estella."

She shrugged and walked over to Tom, who put his arms around her. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Tom. Just—it's still a shock to me to see my victims lying on the floor." She laughed dryly. "I would love to see Potter's face when he finds out that Granger's been petrified."

Tom stroked Ginny's back and said, "It'll be all right in time. They'll be brought back."

Ginny nodded and buried her face in Tom's robes. "I didn't mind getting rid of either of them, Tom. Penelope is Percy's girlfriend, and I wanted her gone. Hermione is the most annoying girl ever, and is a know-it-all. She's terrible! I didn't mind it, Tom. I could do it again, too!"

Tom sighed a little, then said, "You should go on to bed, Ginny. You don't want to be found out of bed tonight."

"True," replied Ginny, stepping back and drawing her wand. She changed her appearance quickly, and Tom smiled at her proudly.

"You can change the colours when you change the crest now!" Tom praised her.

Ginny smiled slightly. "It's been a lot of work, but I did it by accident the first time," she told him. "Goodbye." She hugged him very tightly, and he returned it, kneeling in front of her. He kissed her forehead, then allowed her to leave the Chamber.


	22. To the Chamber

Ginny watched Percy's reaction to the news that two more students had been found petrified. Percy took it really hard, and hid in his dorm room for several days. Ginny tried not to annoy him, but still would not obey him.

The rest of the student body—well, at least most of them—had decided that Potter wasn't the Heir of Slytherin. They reasoned that he wouldn't attack one of his best friends (meaning Granger). Ginny laughed at them behind their backs, but she was getting so tired of her whole charade.

The final exams of the year were coming up, and all the Ravenclaws were starting to hang out at the library from morning til night. Ginny decided that she should go to the library and study, since she couldn't concentrate in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Once in the library, she found it hard to stay awake. Also, she found it quite hard to study with Madam Pince watching her every move. Ginny couldn't understand how the madam could keep track of every student in her library at the same time!

The last thing Ginny remembered doing in the library was turning the page of the transfig book that she was studying. After that, she heard someone saying, "Ginny, Ginny!"

"What—who—?" asked Ginny, a bit too loudly, and Madam Pince scowled in their direction.

"Shhh! You must not make noise. You fell asleep in the library, Ginny."

Ginny finally opened her eyes and looked up to see Guinevere Rillian standing over her. "Oh," Ginny whispered, "I've just been so tired...I really should go on to bed...is it near lights-out?"

Guage nodded. "About five minutes til."

"No!" Ginny breathed to herself, trying to keep quiet. "That doesn't give me much time to get back to my Common Room!"

"Here, let me help you pick up your books," Guage said, gathering them off the table and slipping them into Ginny's bag. "Hey, what's this?" she asked, touching the little black book. "And why does it say 'T. M. Riddle'—"

"GIVE THAT TO ME!" Ginny shouted, and brought Madam Pince running. Guage shoved the book into Ginny's bag and ran out of the library, not wanting to stay and face the Madam.

Madam Pince scowled at Ginny. "Get out of the library now," she snapped at the redhead. "There will be no yelling in here and it's almost lights-out anyway. Get OUT!"

Ginny grabbed her bag and ran from the library.

* * *

_I can't keep this secret much longer, Tom,_ Ginny thought to him desperately. _You saw that the Slytherin girl was wondering about the journal!_

Tom sighed and replied, _I don't know what to do, Ginny. I don't know how to help you this time._

Ginny sighed, and went to bed.

* * *

A few days later, Ginny entered the Great Hall and looked for a seat at the Gryffindor House table. Unfortunately, the only seat left was the one by Harry and Ron! _I don't want to sit with them!_ Ginny moaned to herself inside her head. _But I could tell them what's going on...someone should know._

Ginny walked up to the table and sat down rather nervously. She suddenly found that she couldn't speak to the two boys!

"Hello, Ginny," said Harry. She cracked a smile for about a milli-second, then returned her face to its worried expression.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked her, and she nodded. "Tell us about it," he said.

Ginny couldn't. She could not bring herself to tell the boys Tom's secret. _It will rest with me,_ she realized, _and they will never know._

Harry shifted on the bench and asked in a quiet tone, "Is it about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Complete terror shot over Ginny's face as she stared at him. He knew. He really knew that she knew about the Chamber.

_No, he doen't know,_ Tom said to her gently. _He's trying to lead you into letting him know what's going on. But he's as clueless about the Chamber as Muggles are about the Wizarding World._

Ginny shuddered as she felt another presence in her mind: she could not bear both of them in her mind, arguing. She was too tired to fight Tom's cousin as he ordered Tom to leave Ginny's mind. _Seriously,_ she begged them, _if you have to argue, do it somewhere other than my head! Please, Tom. I can't stand it: it hurts really bad!_

She felt Tom's hurt and worry, but he left, and Voldemort told Ginny, _You will not say anything to them, Estella. You will obey me, like you have been doing, and you will say nothing to them. You are a very naughty girl._

Suddenly, Ginny heard Percy say, "Hey, Ginny, if you're done eating, then I'll just take your seat. I've just come off patrol and I'm starving."

Ginny jumped up. "Remember this," she snapped at him, then tore out of the room.

_Go up to the corridor where you wrote the first message,_ he commanded her.

With tears in her eyes, Ginny stumbled down the corridor, going to obey Voldemort. When she arrived there, she found him leaning against the wall, a pleased look on his face. "Estella. Write _Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever_ on the wall underneath the first message."

"But what shall I write with?" gasped Ginny in fright.

"Your blood. Cut your finger."

She stared at him in fear, and he drew his wand, conjuring a small, silver knife. He stepped forward and seized her hand in his. "No!" Ginny screamed, bursting into tears, but Voldemort snapped, "Keep still," and she obeyed. He sliced her finger with the knife, making her sob in pain. "Now write," he commanded her.

Ginny stared up at the wall, barely able to see it through her tears. "Now," he hissed at her, and Ginny sobbed out loud.

_Tom, what shall I do?_ she sobbed to him.

_There is nothing to be done,_ Tom said.

Voldemort grabbed Ginny's hand and pressed her bleeding finger to the wall, hissing, "Write! Or did you forget how?"

Sobbing, Ginny began to write. As the letters began to form on the wall, she noted that her finger would not heal up, and just continued bleeding. _Tom, I'm terrified,_ she told him.

_It's going to be all right,_ he told her gently.

_Don't lie to me, Tom,_ her mind yelled at him. _He's going to kill me tonight. I'm never going to see my family again, and I'll never see my real family, ever!_

Tom realized that Ginny knew what was going on, and murmured, _I'm sorry, Ginny. I love you._

Ginny burst into fresh sobs, and stumbled back from the wall, not yet finished writing. Voldemort was angry, and pointed his wand at her. Ginny sobbed in terror, and Tom materialized beside her, putting his arms around her from behind.

"Come now, Ginny," he murmured, "you can do this. I love you."

"No, Tom, NO!" Ginny screamed, but he firmly held her until she calmed a little bit.

Tom murmured reassuring words in her ear, and led her up to the wall again. Ginny sobbed, then lifted her hand and finished writing the words. She stumbled back, and threw herself into Tom's arms, sobbing desperately.

"If you didn't fight it, it wouldn't be so hard," he said gently.

Ginny clung to Tom and choked, "I have to fight it, Tom; I'm a Gryffindor."

He smiled in appreciation, and Voldemort snapped, "Now go to the Chamber, both of you."

"I don't want to," wept Ginny, fighting Tom weakly. "I'd rather die with my family around me!"

"Ginny, you must come down to the Chamber," Tom told her.

Ginny sobbed, "No, Tom, please don't make me!"

"I love you, Ginny," he whispered, "but I have no control over this."

She finally allowed Tom to lead her down to the Chamber. He held her tightly as she wept. "Tom, please stay with me," she begged him.

"I will," he reassured her.

Voldemort laughed at them, and taunted, "Why stay with her? There's nothing you can do, Riddle."

Tom looked up at his cousin, then stroked Ginny's back. He turned his attention back to Ginny and murmured, "I love you, Ginny."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said nothing. Tom hurt, for Ginny never responded to his declarations of affection. It was as if she didn't care, he thought. _She has other things to worry about,_ Tom told himself sternly. _Leave her alone._

"Go to sleep, Estella," Voldemort ordered her.

"I won't."

Laughter ensued, and he told Ginny, "You are going to sleep, Estella, so you might as well just submit to it."

Ginny set her face, and for an instant, Tom saw Meretta Parkington in her daughter. "I will not go willingly," she hissed, and turned, holding to Tom. She began to weep freely, feeling the life drain from her.

Just before she lost consciousness, Tom bent down and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he murmured, and Ginny sighed unhappily before her eyes closed. Tom's heart ached, for he wanted Ginny to at least respond to him! He stood and lay her on the floor, rearranging her confortably. Then he stepped back and looked at her. "I love you," he whispered brokenly, "even if you don't love me."

Voldemort's voice broke through Tom's thoughts. "Put the journal in her arms."

Tom looked back at his cousin. "Do it yourself."

"Riddle, don't you know that when she dies and I regain power again, you will be destroyed?" Voldemort told Tom. "So you might as well do it."

"No."

Annoyed, Voldemort went and placed the journal in Ginny's hand.

"I know what will happen," Tom said, staring blankly down at Ginny. "—and I didn't tell her because she doesn't need to worry about me when she's coming to the end of her young life!" he yelled at his cousin.

"Because you fancy yourself in love with her," sneered Voldemort. "Love makes one weak, Riddle."

Tom whirled around. "You're wrong, Cousin! It has helped me so many times—even against you!" He became very quiet, and said, "I don't know if I could have survived this long without her." He turned back to looking at Ginny's body.

Voldemort laughed derisively. "Yes, isn't it ironic? She destroyed; you destroyed—seems as if you two were meant to be."

"You can laugh all you want. You've never had a friend and you can't love. Truly, I'm not a bit sorry for you," Tom snapped at his cousin. "You can steal my good name, and my mind, and my body, but you cannot steal love or happiness from me." Tom snorted, a smirk on his face. "—or my blood, for that matter."

"**Stupefy**_!_" and Tom flew across the Chamber, stunned.


	23. Aftermath of the Chamber Skirmish

Ginny woke in terror, staring up at the Chamber ceiling. She started in alarm, and smacked her head on the cold stones. Sitting up, she looked around and saw Harry Potter kneeling on the ground close to her.

"What—what's happened?" she gasped in terror. "What are you doing here?" _Ginny, you could sound a little less extremist._

"Ron and I came to save you," Harry said, his face twisted in pain.

Ginny sat up more and gasped, "Harry, you're hurt!"

"Yes, it bit me," Harry commented.

_Way to go, Benjy!_ was Ginny's first thought. Her second thought was, _What's he done to Benjy?_ And then she thought, _Benjy's dead!_

And indeed, her basilisk friend was dead, a bloody slice through the roof of his head. Ginny burst into sobs. Reading Harry's mind, she knew that he believed that Tom and Voldemort were the same person. She wept, "I'm going to be expelled! Riddle made me do it! It was the journal, I swear!"

To her shock, she realized that there was a strange bird in the Chamber with them. Looking closer, she realized that it was a Phoenix, and decided that it must be Professor Dumbledore's bird. Surprisingly enough, the bird came over to them, and they noticed that it was crying.

Suddenly, Harry said, "Of course! The Phoenix's tears has healing powers!"

Ginny smiled slightly, and replied, "You're so lucky sometimes, Harry."

"It's not luck," Harry stated. "It's just—I don't know—good friends, or good timing, or something like that. Come on." He stood up. "We need to get Ron and Lockhart so that we can leave the Chamber."

"Lockhart?" gasped Ginny. "What's he doing down here? Disgracing the name of wizard again?"

Harry laughed, then became very solemn. "He was bragging that he could save you, and that he knew where the Chamber was. But when the professors told him to go defeat the monster and all that, he tried to flee the school rather than to face the basilisk and all that," Harry told Ginny. "He told us he was a complete fake, and then he tried to destroy my and Ron's memory. But he was using Ron's wand, so his spell backfired, and Lockhart doesn't have a memory anymore."

Ginny looked thrilled. "He's finally been found out!" she gasped. "That's wonderful! What did Hermione think— oh." She looked down in embarrassment.

"It's all right, Ginny," he told her. "Professor Dumbledore will understand what Riddle did to you."

Ginny hurt inside, knowing that it was not Tom's fault. Suddenly, her face became very pale, and she began to sob heartbrokenly. "Where—where is the journal?" Ginny asked, trying to calm herself.

Harry turned around and pointed to it, lying on the floor. Ginny stared. The journal was ruined. Its cover had a huge hole in it, and many of the pages were torn. Ginny realized that ink was spilled all over it and the floor, and that there was blood on it as well.

"He's destroyed, Ginny," Harry said. "He can't hurt you anymore, and the basilisk will not petrify any more—"

"—Mudbloods," Ginny finished with a sob, making Harry stare at her. _Not Tom,_ her mind screamed. _Harry, could you be any more stupid?_

Ginny finally stood up and stumbled after Harry, drawing her cloak around her. "Ugh," she said, realizing that her clothes were soaked from her lying on the Chamber floor.

Harry turned, hearing Ginny stop, and saw her draw her wand and dry off her clothes. "How can you do that?" he asked her.

"When I'm only a first year?" she finished for Harry. "Yes, yes, I've heard that. Tom showed me how to do it. He's helped me a lot—except for when I almost died." _I will not tell Harry thank you! I will not tell Harry thank you!_

"Is that all he taught you?" he asked her.

Ginny shrugged and continued walking toward the entrance. "He didn't teach me anything bad: he only taught me things I needed to know in order to survive. I know some really nasty hexes that Tom showed me. But he didn't teach me Dark Arts, if that's what you're wondering."

Harry grinned. "I don't think your father would be happy if he had," he said.

_He's not my father!_ "He's not going to be happy anyway," Ginny sighed. "Hey, what's that you've got in your other hand?" She noticed that his glasses sat crookedly on his nose.

"Oh," he said, turning to her, "this is a sword I pulled out of the Sorting Hat. And I guess I'm taking the journal up there as well."

_No._ Ginny stared at the sword, seeing the blood and venom on it. _He killed Benjy with that sword. And that is Godric Gryffindor's sword! That shouldn't even be in the Chamber!_

"Ginny!" cried a familiar voice, and Ron swept Ginny up in a great big hug. She pulled away from him, looking at him carefully. "It's me," he said, "don't worry." She sighed, and he added, "I'm so glad you're not dead, Gin."

She nodded, and Harry said, "We should get back to the castle and tell Professor Dumbledore what has happened."

"What shall we do with Lockhart?" Ron asked.

_Kill him!_ Ginny's mind shouted enthusiastically, _and say the basilisk did it!_

"We have to take him with us, of course, and turn him into Dumbledore," Harry replied. He called back into the place near the entrance, "Come on out here, Lockhart!"

"Oh, is that my name?" Lockhart said. "I could have sworn I'd forgotten it!"

Ginny sneered at him behind Harry's and Ron's backs, and Lockhart looked confused, making Ginny turn away and stifle a giggle.

Harry and Ron hurried Lockhart across the Chamber, but Ginny drew her wand once again and cleaned up the blood and ink on the floor. She then hurried after Harry and her brother, pocketing her wand before either of them noticed what she'd done.

"Wait, how are you leaving the Chamber?" Ginny asked Harry and Ron, knowing very well that all they had to do was open the Chamber entrance to the girls' bathroom and open up the steps in the pipe.

"Fawkes is going to fly us out," Ron replied, and Harry nodded.

Ginny shrugged, inwardly laughing at Harry's ignorance of the Chamber. _He truly isn't the Heir of Slytherin. He's never even met the Heir, and he thinks he just killed the Heir—which—he did, didn't he?_

She began to sob again, and grabbed onto the Phoenix's tail feathers as he took off. _Tom is dead,_ her mind screamed at her. _He's dead, and you're alive! Tom, I need you! I want you back!_

Harry, Ron, and Ginny hurried through the halls, towing Lockhart (who was babbling incessantly) behind them. Fawkes was perched on Harry's shoulder, and Harry was carrying the sword and the ruined journal.

They burst into the Headmaster's office, and everyone inside turned to stare at them. Arthur gasped and Molly ran to Ginny, crying, "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it, Harry? How did you do it?" She swept Ginny up into a big hug, and Ginny sobbed, feeling completely alone.

Feeling smothered, Ginny struggled to be able to look back at everyone else in the room. She hid her face in Molly's robes when Dumbledore looked at her: she did not want to face her Headmaster.

Harry began to explain about what had happened, and after a few minutes, Dumbledore said, "I don't understand how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny."

Harry looked uncomfortably at Ginny, and she gasped out, "It was the journal! I couldn't help it! He—" _He tortured me!_ Harry set the journal and the sword up on Dumbledore's desk.

Dumbledore picked up the book and examined it with a frown. "I see. Riddle was very intelligent to preserve his memory here." He looked up at Arthur and Molly. "There will be no punishment. Voldemort has fooled many, many excellant wizards in the past. Just take Ginny down to the Hospital Wing and get her some hot chocolate and some rest."

_You bet Riddle was intelligent,_ Ginny thought to herself as she followed her parents out of the room. _Except that he was not the one who trapped himself in that stupid journal!_

Molly hugged Ginny as they walked down the hall, saying, "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"If something like that ever happens again, you need to let us know," Arthur scolded.

Ginny jerked herself away from Molly. "Don't scold me," she said, bursting into fake tears, "I already know it! By the time I had realized what was going on, it was too late to go back! There was nothing anyone could do."

The two Weasleys reassured her and took her on to the Hospital Wing. Upon entering the Hospital Wing, Ginny found that all the students that had been petrified before Christmas were having Christmas, and the others were looking on. She also noticed that Penelope wasn't there. Once her parents had her situated in her bed with a cup of hot cocoa, they went off together and began to talk about whether or not they should take Ginny home immediately.

Ginny did not like the idea of leaving so soon, and decided that she'd stay if she had to throw a temper tantrum and embarrass herself in front of the Mudbloods. Speaking of Mudbloods, the ones that had just been restored were watching her, and all of the except for Hermione came over to Ginny.

Colin and Justin hurried over to Ginny, and Colin demanded, "Why did you tell me to go up to the Hospital Wing when you knew that you'd be coming up there?"

"I didn't know," Ginny said. "I didn't know I'd be coming up there until around 9 'o clock that night."

Justin frowned at her for a few minutes, and asked Ginny, "Then are you the Heir?"

Ginny caught the giggles and collapsed on her back in her bed. When she could finally speak again, she wheezed, "No, I'm not. I was being controlled against my will by someone who's not even a student here. And I'm sorry about everything."

The two boys gave her awkward looks, and left the Hospital Wing. Almost as soon as they left, Hermione came over. "Ginny!" she began awkwardly. "Well, I'm glad you're all right."

The redhead smiled slightly, and replied, "Don't act so strange, Hermione. It's okay. I don't have any basilisks under the bed or anything." _Especially since the only one I've ever known is dead!_

"Oh." Hermione blushed, and Ginny giggled, "Did you actually think I did have one under the bed?"

Hermione hid her face. "I wasn't sure, Ginny. I don't know what to think! But it wasn't you who controlled that basilisk, no matter what Ron says," said the brown-haired girl. "It was a black-haired girl wearing Slytherin robes, and none of the others will believe me, for Penelope didn't notice! Do you know who it was?"

Ginny nodded. "It was me, Hermione," she told the older girl, who looked horrified. "That other girl's form was a kind of disguise for me: that girl is actually a daughter of two Death Eaters that are in hiding. Tom decided that it would be safer for me if I didn't look myself."

Hermione stared at Ginny. "Amazing," she breathed. "But how did you take her form?"

"It was easy," Ginny explained. "Tom showed me how to do it. I used a Colour-changing Charm to change my hair colour, and used transfiguration to change the house crest on my robes, as well as change the colours on the house crest." Ginny smiled proudly. "I can change both the crest and the crest colours at the same time now!"

"So,..." began Hermione slowly, "can you tell me what it was like to be possessed? I mean, only if you want to tell me. I'm curious about that sort of thing."

Sighing, Ginny answered, "Possession can take three forms, I suppose—at least, that's what I know. The least controlling form is suggestion, which is exactly what it sounds like. A person may hear a voice tell them or feel a strange urge to do a certain something.

"The second form is probably the most horrible while it's happening, and I don't know what to call it. It occurs when someone enters another's mind and forces their mind to recede, or to give over control to the intruder. The victim is completely aware of what is going on at all times, and but cannot control it, and the intruder uses the victim's senses."

Hermione looked strangely at Ginny, who was sitting up and talking earnestly. "You seem really calm about this, Ginny," she said.

Ginny smiled sadly. "I had to give over to him every time he wanted to take control of me. I took torture from him, Hermione, but it was too much."

Granger's mouth formed a round _O._ "Did he use the Torture Curse on you?"

"No," Ginny lied, leaning back on her pillows.

"So then, how did he torture you?" Hermione persisted. "Did you give in, just like that?" She snapped her fingers.

Ginny scowled darkly at the Mudblood sitting on her bed. "No, I didn't," she hissed. "I'm not that weak! There are many, many methods of torture that you will never know, Granger; now get away from me!" Ginny turned her back on Granger and covered her head with the bedsheet.

Hermione stood quickly, and stepped away from the bed carefully. She then turned and hurried away from Ginny.

Ginny rolled over in her bed, fighting back angry tears. _I despise her, Tom! How could she say that to me? I'm not that weak, I'm not! Tom, why did you leave me when I needed you the most? Why didn't you stay like you promised you would?_

Just then, Ginny's parents came back over to her and Molly said to Arthur, "See? It's too much for her to stay here! We should take her home with us!"

"No!" Ginny protested in alarm, sitting up. "I was only upset because I just had an argument with one of my victims!"

"Ginny," scolded her father sharply, "they were not your victims."

Frowning because she knew better, she replied, "Some of them were mine, and some of them were victimized through me."

Molly had been watching her daughter strangely, and now gasped, "Your eyes, Ginny! They're—they're green! They're supposed to be brown!"

Ginny replied proudly, "Tom said that green was my natural eye colour and that it was a shame that someone had tried to hide the true beauty in me. I think he's right: it fits my skin tone better."

Arthur threw his hands into the air. "I see what you mean, Molly. Perhaps we should take her home!"

"No!" Ginny protested again. "I have to get used to life at school again! Someone else has been living my life, and I have to come back into myself again! Please, Dad, don't let Mum take me home! I need to face the troubles; I need to face my own fear, otherwise it'll be hard for me to come back next year. Please, Dad, please!"

"Oh, all right, Ginny," he sighed.

"Arthur!" Molly snapped, and he shrugged, walking away.

* * *

Ginny was relieved when her mother left, and tried to fall asleep. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a voice say, "Ginny! Ginny!" The redhead pulled the bedsheet over her head and put her hands over her ears.

Someone yanked the covers off her head, and Ginny struck out, the person jumping back. "Honestly, Ginny, I need to talk to you!"

Ginny looked up and realized that it was her cousin Cherea. "Oh, sorry," mumbled Ginny, "I was almost asleep."

"Brianna and Samantha decided they couldn't come themselves," Cherea explained, "so they asked Luna to come get me."

"What did they want?" Ginny asked sleepily.

Cherea sat down on Ginny's bed and said, "They first want to know how you're doing. Second, they want to know what happened in the Chamber. They also want to talk to you themselves when you get out of the Hospital Wing."

Smiling, Ginny replied, "I will. And you can tell them that I'm fine. What happened in the Chamber was that Harry killed the basilisk and basically rescued me, but don't go around repeating the "he rescued me" part."

Cherea laughed and nodded. "Well, thanks for being a good sport."

"It's okay. How did you get in here?" Ginny wondered. "I thought Madam Pomphrey was really strict about visitors."

"She is, but I told her that I was your third cousin (which I am), and she snapped that I'd better not be lying, and let me in. Anyway, goodbye." Cherea hurried out of the Hospital Wing.


	24. Second Sleepover

When Ginny was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing, her entire family (plus Grang-_ah_ and Potter) escorted her toward the Gryffindor Common Room. They were all walking and talking, the twins behind the trio, Percy beside his father. Ginny walked out front, wanting to get away from Molly, who was right behind her.

They turned a corner, and squeals of "Ginny! GINNY!" met their ears. Brianna and Samantha ran up to Ginny and crushed her in a huge hug.

"GinnyGinnyGinnyyou'realive! What'stheChamberlike? What'sitlike?" they shouted, running their words together. "Tellus—"

The Charleston twins suddenly found their voices gone, and looked back at Molly Weasley, who was looking quite satisfied with herself. "Leave my daughter alone." The threat in her voice made the twins grin: they didn't know whether to take her seriously or not.

Quickly, Ginny drew her wand and returned the twins' voices back to them. Then she grabbed them by the front of their Slytherin robes and drew their faces close to hers so that the three nearly collided heads. "I'll come to you two days before school gets out and tell you everything," she murmured to them. "Now play along with me." She then shoved them both against the wall, a grin on her face.

Both of the twins reached out a hand and pinched Ginny's cheeks. "Cootchy-coo," they giggled.

Ginny released Samantha, who darted away, but kept Brianna pinned to the wall. Laughing, Ginny playfully smacked Brianna against the wall a few times while saying, "Your—parents—told you—to respect—me!"

"And?" Brianna gasped out, trying not to giggle hysterically in front of the Weasleys and Potter. "Samantha, assistance here!"

Samantha raised her hand sadly and said, "Faretheewell, sister." Then she took off running down the hall.

"Traitor," Brianna hollered after her twin, still stuck against the wall.

Instantly, Percy stepped forward and half-shouted to the rapidly disappearing Slytherin girl, "No running in the halls!"

"Shut up," Brianna snapped at him, looking over Ginny's shoulder. "You could become human for two minutes at least!"

Percy looked furious and was about to threaten Brianna with detention or something when Ginny sighed, "Let it go, Percy." He scowled, but allowed himself to relax.

Up the hall, Samantha peeked around the corner and Brianna noticed her. Unfortunately, Molly also noticed and sent a Stunning Spell down the hall at her. Brianna fought Ginny's grip on her robes and shouted in anger, "Leave my sister alone, Weasley!"

Ginny released Brianna, and watched the dark-haired girl hiss at Molly. If Brianna had been a cat, she would have her fur raised, her back arched, claws extended. "What is this school coming to?" Brianna snapped. "A grown witch attacking a first year? Salazar, Ginny, what is this world coming to?"

Knowing that Brianna's comment was going to make Molly angry, Ginny stepped between them as Brianna ran down the hall after her sister, who had avoided the Stunning Spell. Ginny blocked a couple of Stunning Spells and Tripping Jinxes, allowing the Charleston twins to get away freely.

Molly stared at Ginny. "Why did you do that?" she demanded of her daughter. "I don't want them bothering you!"

"Mum, I have to deal with it on my own," Ginny replied patiently. "Besides, I needed practice blocking someone else's spells." She looked down. "I had been working only with Tom." She sighed, then looked back at her mother. "And I don't think it would go over well with the girls, or with any of the staff if you had gotten them, no matter what they were hollering at me about."

Molly sighed and put her arm around Ginny protectively, but Ginny shrugged the arm away. "Ginevra, quit being so obstinate!" Molly said dangerously.

"I'm not," Ginny whispered, pretending to be close to tears, "but I don't want to be coddled. S—good grief, Mum, I'm a Gryffindor. I can take care of myself now." _Nicely done, Ginny. Pretend to be crying and almost swear by Salazar in front of the Weasleys and Potter. You're soooo good!_

Fred and George grinned at Ginny. "She can, actually. Hey, Ginny, can you teach us the hex you taught that annoying Gryffindor prefect? No not you, Percy. Miskenet. She hexed us for something and then told us that you'd taught her the hex."

Giggling, Ginny nodded in agreement. "Sorry about her hexing you. I forgot to warn you that I told her to practice the hex on you two," Ginny told them. "I would have told her to do it on the Slytherins, but I didn't want her to make any particularly horrible enemies—it's a powerful hex."

Ginny's parents looked shocked, and Ginny sighed. "I'm sorry that I'm not a normal Weasley, Mum, but I've really, really needed to learn how to protect myself this year. And I've made some really strange friends, and I've taught hexes to prefects, and I've hexed prefects. I've disguised myself, and confused professors and students alike." Ginny smiled proudly. "My dorm mates hate me, and I've made horrible Slytherin enemies, namely Rishka and her boyfriend—you know them, Percy, they're prefects. I defeated Rishka at the Dueling Club."

Arthur smiled at his daughter. "Good for you," he said. "Don't ever let the Slytherins getcha down."

Nodding, Ginny answered, "Okay."

Harry looked at Ginny quizzically and asked, "Where were you at the Dueling Club? I didn't see you there."

"In a crowd of fifth years," Ginny replied. "I had moved away from the Slytherin first year girls because I wanted someone exciting to duel."

Ron frowned at her. "Ginny, those fifth years could absolutely smash you!"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm still here," she replied. "Anyway, I need to get up to my dorm room. Goodbye." And Ginny ran down the hall, just as her friends had done previously.

* * *

Ginny bounced into Charms class a few days later and danced up to the Professor's desk. "Hello, Professor," she said cheerfully. "Here is the list of hexes that I've created. By the hex's name I've written names of people that I've tested some of the different hexes on. Some of the hexes are untested."

Professor Flitwick took the list and said, "Thank you, Ms. Weasley. Take your seat, and I'll return this to you at the end of class with comments." Ginny nodded and hurried to her seat.

The class was rather relaxed since Dumbledore had canceled exams for the year. The students (Gryffindors and Ravenclaws) practiced the charms they had learned over the year.

Ginny amused herself by cutting off the cover of Marlene's Charms text and transferring it to her own book, putting her book cover on Marlene's book. Ginny then proceeded to silence Marlene when she started hollering, and then used Colour-Changing Charms to change Marlene's book to a bright pink and a sick orange.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and Ginny looked up innocently. "Ms. Weasley, please do not use Charms on your dorm mate's book," he requested, "and please fix the book's appearance."

Grinning to herself, Ginny changed the colours back and switched the book covers again.

At the end of class, Ginny slipped up to Professor Flitwick's desk. He smiled at Ginny and said, "Your work was very well done, Ms. Weasley," he told her. "However, I do want to point out—" and he put the list down on the table in front of her "—that you should probably stay away from the Splinching Hex. But all the others should be fine. What was the question you had about the Hair-straightening Hex you created?"

Ginny smiled slightly. "Well, I haven't created it yet," she corrected him. "I knew that there was a Hair-straightening Potion, and I was wondering if it would be possible for someone to use their wand to spatter the Potion on a person so that it had the same effect as if they'd drunk it."

Professor Flitwick frowned. "I don't think you should cross Potions with Charms and hexes, Ms. Weasley."

"Okay," Ginny replied. "Thank you! And I will create more, by the way. If you want me to continue letting you know what I create, I will."

"Please do," the professor said instantly, "and now you should hurry off to whatever it is you are to do next.

Ginny nodded to him and hurried out of the Charms classroom, clutching the paper.

* * *

True to her word, Ginny sneaked down to the Slytherin Dungeons two days before school got out. The instant Brianna and Samantha noticed her (cause Ginny was disguised again), they dragged her up to their dorm room.

Megan, Guage, and Reya all sprawled out on their beds as Brianna and Samantha shook Ginny violently. "Tell—us—now!" the girls cheered.

"Let go or I'll hex you into a moonbeam!" Ginny tried to snap, but ended up giggling madly. "Hey, no tickling!"

Brianna and Samantha collapsed onto their beds and demanded, "What's the Chamber like? And what happened to you?"

Ginny held her hand up and said, "Settle, settle. Okay...long explanation coming. The story starts when I was just ten years old. My brothers had all gone off to Hogwarts and I was lonely, of course. I have this habit of secretly taking out each broomstick in our broom shed and practicing my flight every night."

"So that's why you were so good at flying!" Riker exclaimed.

Nodding, Ginny continued with her story. "One night, I took a broom out to the paddock behind our house. I heard two people talking, and stormed into the paddock to confront them. Strange it was, however, that I only found one person in the paddock: a sixteen year old boy named Tom Riddle. He showed me that he'd been talking to a serpant that he'd found in the paddock. He was sooo absolutely stuck up when I met him: he pretty much always had a smirk or a sneer on his face."

"Like Malfoy!" chirped Megan happily, and Guage giggled at her friend.

"Aaanyway, he informed me that I was a Parselmouth and I was in denial for a while until the serpant scolded me," Ginny said. "So I finally accepted it, and I'm very proud of my ability. While I was there with the boy, I realized that he looked transparent and mentioned it to him, asking him why that was."

Brianna and Samantha rolled over onto their stomachs and put their chins on their fists, watching Ginny attentively. "Was he a ghost, Stel?" they asked her.

Ginny shook her head. "That's what I asked him, and he told me no, saying 'Sit down and I'll explain.' I fingered his robe and asked him why he was nearly transparent although I could still feel the material of his robe. Then I nearly died, for I noticed the Slytherin House crest on his robes and jumped up to run away from him, warning him that his dorm mates and his housemates would not be happy with him."

Guage laughed at that knowingly, and Megan clapped a hand over her friend's mouth. "Go on, Estella," Megan told her.

"He told me that he was very proud to be a Slytherin, and honoured to be a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin—"

"He was the Heir of Slytherin, wasn't he?" Brianna gasped, and Samantha snapped, "Shhh, you're destroying the story line!"

Smiling, Ginny continued, "He told me that he was not cruel and ruthless as I'd been thinking—I think he read my mind. He also informed me that he was not against Muggles, and that he would not hurt me. Then he made me sit down and listen to his explanation of why he was 'skipping' school." She sighed and said, "He told me that he'd graduated from Hogwarts almost fifty years previously, and that he was still sixteen. In his sixth year at school, he tried to stop one of his housemates from doing some extremely Dark magic, and there was a huge magical accident."

"What happened?" gasped Riker.

"His whole self and part of his housemate's self was trapped in a journal ever since," Ginny told her wide-eyed friends. "When I touched Tom's robes, it left ink on my hands! And of course, the housemate never told anyone what had happened." Ginny's face became a bit pale. "The housemate was Voldemort, Tom's cousin."

The five Slytherin girls stared, then as one voice, shouted, "NO!"

Ginny nodded sadly. "Tom's cousin made Tom's life miserable, for he was always pretending to be Tom, destroying his good name and reputation. Tom told me that he was always fighting his cousin to stay in control of his own mind; his cousin made him furious."

"So...this Tom is the Dark Lord's cousin?" gasped Megan.

"Yes," Ginny replied decisively, "and do not spread that around. He hated acknowledging that, for he despised his half-blooded cousin."

Brianna looked confused. "Wait, which one was a half-blood?"

"The Dark Lord," Ginny stated flatly, making all the girls gasp in shock. "Yes, the Dark Lord is a halfie. His mother out-bred herself to a Muggle, and Tom says that Voldemort is completely unworthy of being called a descendant of Slytherin. Tom is the last pureblooded descendant of Salazar Slytherin."

Ginny sighed deeply. "Tom was sad when he told me, although he tried to hide it. He can be so hard to read sometimes—he's such a Slytherin! Anyway, everyone forgot Tom existed after he graduated from school (he was able to hide his transparency). He told me that it is very boring to be stuck in a journal all day, and that only he, and not his cousin, could take a corporeal form and come out of the journal."

"Tom had to fight so hard to keep his cousin from taking control of him and making him cause trouble outside the journal. He told me that it's only happened a couple times, but then he seemed to go a bit pale, and I don't know what that was about," Ginny went on. "He asked me what I knew about the Chamber, and I told him what my brother Charlie had told me about it—basically the legend of the Chamber, you know. Then I asked him what he knew about the Chamber."

The five Slytherin girls all bounced up and down on their beds. "What'd he say? What'd he say?" they shouted.

Smiling, Ginny answered, "He told me that the Chamber was real—and that he was the Heir of Slytherin."

"I knew it!" Brianna yelled. "I knew it!" The other girls stared at Ginny, who looked very ashamed.

"I accused him of killing Myrtle and all that," Ginny whispered, "and I hurt him really badly, for his cousin was the one who had actually used him to do all that. Just at that moment, Voldemort tried to control Tom to get to me. Tom released my hand and I drew away from him, for he was terrifying me. I didn't know how to help him, but I just stayed there, trying to encourage him. His face went blank, and I was scared to death that I was facing his cousin in him. I told him that I understood that it wasn't his fault, and that I was sorry. I told him that I believed him and asked him to stay with me."

Ginny looked down, tears sparkling in her eyes. The girls did not notice, for Ginny struggled to hide her feelings from them. "He did," she said finally. "He defeated his cousin and thanked me. I was so relieved that I gave him a huge hug, probably breaking all rules of Slytherin protocol. He pried me away from him, then set me down on the bench. I apologized for being so forward, and he teased me about getting ink all over me, which he cleaned off of me with his wand."

"Estella Parkington, you little—" Brianna began, but Samantha shouted, "No, Brianna, there are first years in the room!" The two of them giggled hilariously, and Brianna said, "Stel, you hugged the Heir of Slytherin!"

"You should have sno—" Riker began teasingly, and Ginny screamed, "No! Stop right there!"

The girls stared at her, and Ginny whispered, "I'm sorry. Don't tease me about him, okay? You'll put me in a murderous mood." They nodded, and Ginny continued her story once more. "Throughout the summer, Tom taught me to read minds and influence thoughts. We could speak to each other through our minds! He also taught me to apparate, and taught me some defensive and offensive spells that would help me through my first year. Tom taught me how to deal with Slytherins: he's the only reason why Riker and I haven't killed each other yet."

Riker giggled and Megan snorted sarcastically.

"Tom promised to show me the Chamber of Secrets a week after I got to school, and I was so excited. I asked Tom about the monster, and he told me that it was a basilisk," Ginny explained. "I was worried about that, but Tom reassured me that he'd mind me if he told the basilisk to. Tom also said that the basilisk could not kill us with his eyes or his venom because he and I are natural Parselmouths."

"Natural?" Gauge commented. "Is there an unnatural Parselmouth?"

Ginny nodded. "Potter is the only one I know of," she informed the girls. "That's why the basilisk nearly killed him down in the Chamber." Sighing, she went on, "When my brothers came home from Hogwarts, Tom taught me how to counter-act my brother Percy's annoying-ness so that I always new what to say to make Percy mad or to shut him up."

"I woke one morning to see my brothers leave the Burrow in the family car, and Tom told me that they were going to speak to Potter, for he was not answering their letters (honestly, Tom is so intelligent!). Unfortunately, neither Tom nor I knew that they were bringing Potter back to the Burrow with them," Ginny scowled. "He shocked me when I went down for breakfast, so that I embarrassed myself by hiding in my room all day."

"Stella likes Potter!" chanted Megan, and Ginny glared at the red-haired girl venomously.

"Sage, do not tease me about Potter. I do not like him anymore, and I don't want to hear about it. Understand?" Ginny hissed.

Megan nodded, and Ginny looked away from the girls. "Tom laughed at me because I was embarrassed, so I shut him out of my mind," Ginny whispered. "He came to my room and ordered me not to shut him out. He told me that he was sorry, but I turned to the wall and tried to ignore him. He grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. That's when I looked up and asked, 'Tom?'? He told me that he was himself, and I believed him. He was not happy with me at all, and forced me to sit beside him on the bed. He restrained me until I relaxed there and apologized to him for ignoring him.

"He began playing with my hair, teasing me by calling me 'Fire-headed Ginny.'" Ginny shuddered. "His hands were cold. He radiated cold, and he told me he couldn't feel it! He then made me drop the subject, and asked me if I would like to be able to follow my brothers without being seen. I told him yes, then jumped up and nearly smacked him in the face with my head. He disappeared from beside me and entered my mind to witness what would happen. It felt so different from all the other times I'd spoken to Tom, and mentioned it to him. He retreated a little, and I felt less dizzy.

"I was about to speak when I felt something tell me to go somewhere else, and I obeyed it. I chased the twins out of their room and searched it, not under my own control. I took a couple of candy-looking pieces that I found, looking up their worth in one of the twins' old books. I couldn't do anything," Ginny gasped, remembering the horror of her first experience with possession. "When I nearly became hysterical back in my room, he acted like it was no big deal! He terrified me!"

Brianna slipped an arm around her cousin, and asked, "What happened then?"

Ginny looked up, her eyes haunted. "He left," she replied. "And that night, when I was trying to get warm and go to sleep, Tom came to my mind again and asked, 'Ginny?' I was terrified that he was going to make me do something horrible again, and screamed at him to get out of my mind. I hurt him yet again! I burst into tears, and couldn't stop, for I was too tired. He materialized in the room, and I couldn't get away, so I begged him not to hurt me anymore."

"Did he hurt you?" Riker asked, leaning forward curiosly.

"No," Ginny whispered. "He looked so panicked that I had to ask him what was wrong. He sat down by me on the bed and told me that he couldn't remember where he'd been or what he'd done that day. He said he couldn't remember if he'd been there with me or not. He asked me if he'd been there, and if he'd hurt me, so I told him everything. He replied that whenever he couldn't remember where he'd been, it meant that his cousin had been controlling him. Tom apologized for whatever he'd done to me."

"You were yelled at by the Dark Lord?" gasped Samantha. "Stel—he played with your hair?"

Colouring violently, Ginny struggled not to weep. "That was the first time that I'd ever faced Tom's cousin, but it wasn't the last. I'd been controlled by the Dark Lord, and was very dangerous to those around me. I cried in Tom's arms, and he felt extremely awkward, I could tell. He told me that I was not alone, and that he knew what I felt, and that he could teach me to fight. Tom said that no matter what Voldemort did when he was in control of me, it was not my fault. Tom apologized for putting me in danger. I told him it was fine, and asked him to stay with me through the night, which he did."

"Oh, Stel!" sighed Brianna, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right now, I suppose," Ginny sighed. "I then worked on getting Tom to accept hugs from me, for I tried hugging him again, and he held me away from him. He told me that other than his mother, I was probably the only person who had ever hugged him!"

Megan sighed. "Oh, poor Heir of Slytherin!"

Ginny grinned. "Yeah. Hugs made him really uncomfortable at first, and he told me that he never had time for any relationships when he was at school, for he was always cleaning up after or trying to stop his cousin. When I told him that he should be hugged more, he shrugged and told me that he'd survived. I hugged him again, and he sighed, saying, 'You're not going to stop pursuing this, are you?' I told him that he needed hugs, and that they're good for friends. He gave me a strange look and I asked him what was wrong.

"Tom said that he had never had a true, loyal friend before, and that he was honoured by my friendship. I was shocked by that, and told him that I'd always be his friend." Ginny smiled in remembrance. "He helped me with my hair, which is hopelessly tangly when it's red. Tom could always fix whatever I did wrong. He was so wonderful! Just before I left my room, Tom said, 'Aren't you going to hug me goodbye, dear Ginevra?' and I ran back to him. He knelt on the ground to receive me! He's so wonderful," Ginny breathed.

Brianna grinned. "Sounds like you and he are perfect together," she said, and Ginny returned the grin.

"We were," Ginny sighed. "But we can annoy each other so much! When he yelled at me about how Harry's defeat of Voldemort was an accident and that Potter was nothing special, I accused him of being extremist, and yelled at him that I didn't want to see him anymore and that I wouldn't be poisoned by his stupid prejudices." She looked at the five shocked girls around her. "Tom doesn't like Harry, or Mudbloods, or Muggles, but Tom's not extremist, only supremist to a certain degree, and he doesn't know how to deal with people like that. It's very awkward for him."

"So...did he leave? What happened then?" asked Megan.

Ginny frowned in remembrance. "Tom's cousin took control of him," she answered. "And he shoved me against the wall, and slapped me, and lectured me that he and Tom were the same person. They are not the same person: I have seen them both together, in the Chamber, and they are very different. Anyway, when I refused to obey Voldemort, he threatened my family, and then tortured me."

"With the Cruciatus?" gasped Brianna, and Samantha was speechless.

Ginny nodded, replying, "Uh huh."

Riker was wide-eyed with horror, and Guage said, "Ouch. What was the end result?"

"I promised him I'd obey him," Ginny said solemnly.

Guage grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and shook her. "Where's the Gryffindor in you?" she hollered.

"Hush, you'll bring the prefects in here," Ginny scolded, shaking Guage off. "And you had any idea of the training Tom put me through, you'd understand that survival comes before complete stupidity."

"Then what happened, Stel?" asked Samantha.

Ginny smiled sadly. "Tom came to me a few nights later after I'd practiced my flying. He struggled to convince me that he and his cousin were indeed separate people. Of course I accepted him, and he became my honororary big brother that night."

"I'm jealous!" squealed Megan. "The Heir of Slytherin is your honorary brother! Oooh, Ginny, I swear—"

"You wouldn't be jealous of all the trouble that his cousin has caused us," Ginny said bitterly. "Anyway, when my family went to Diagon Alley to get our school supplies, Tom was annoyed when Granger came along—I don't exactly get along with her very well, and Tom just doesn't like her. Lockhart was in Flourish and Botts, having a stupid book-signing, and there was a huge embarrassment there, because Lucius Malfoy was making fun of my family. Oooh, I wanted to smack him so hard!"

Samantha giggled. "Did you?"

"No. I insulted him in his mind." Ginny grinned in satisfaction. "When I got home, Tom came into my room and looked through my books." She looked at Riker. "He told me that Lockhart's book were 'stupid,' 'useless,' and 'egotistical,' and never to stake my life on Lockhart. Tom told me that the potions text hadn't changed, and we got to talking about Professor Snape."

"What did Riddle say about him?" Megan asked.

Grinning, Ginny said, "Can you believe that Tom is almost thirty years older than Snape, but is still only sixteen years old? Tom told me when Snape attended school, and that Snape was good at the Dark Arts, 'cause he's an ex-Death Eater, you know. Tom also said that Snape wasn't friendly with James Potter and his friends, 'cause James Potter and Sirius Black bullied him during his school years. That's why Snape doesn't like the Gryffindors.."

The twins flopped down on Brianna's bed. "Aw! I thought he didn't like them 'cause they were Gryffindors!"

Ginny giggled, and agreed. "We found the strangest thing in my Transfiguration book—the journal that Tom and part of his cousin were trapped in! Tom could not believe that I had the journal: it was a nasty twist of fate."

"Is that what he said?" Riker asked, giggling (she did not understand the complications of having part of the Dark Lord fall out of your Transfiguration book).

"No, but he thought it," Ginny replied, "and I heard his mind say it. Anyway, whenever I touched the journal after that—"

Just then, Guage hid his face in her hands, shouting, "Oh—my—word!"

Brianna and Samantha pounced on her, shouting, "What? What?"

"I—I—the journal—I saw it in the library!" gasped Guage. "Ginny did have it, and when I touched it, she yelled at me as if I'd gone streaking in the corridors!"

Ginny smiledly sheepishly. "I'm sorry I yelled, but I had to keep him a secret: I promised him I would. I don't have the journal now: I don't know where it is. Potter had it last, and I think he gave it to Dumbledore."

"You will never see it again," Megan predicted.

Snickering, Ginny told her friends, "Probably not. Anyway, Tom told me that he would show me shortcuts to classrooms and secret passages to unknown places. He also promised to show me the Chamber.

"On the train, I wrote in the journal so I wouldn't seem awkward to the others in my compartment. Tom wrote back: it was a really nice way of communication, because he and I usually talk through the Channel," Ginny explained.

She told her friends about the Channel, then continued, "I snapped at Granger on the train, and then stormed off, shocking the two other first years I was with. During the boat ride and the Sorting Hat ceremony, I was with Brie and Samantha. Tom left my mind when my name was called, for he did not want the Sorting Hat to sense his presence."

"What did the Sorting Hat actually say to you?" Riker asked curiously.

Ginny looked at Riker unhappily. "He knew I was a Parselmouth, and he told me that I belonged in Slytherin, but when I endeavored to hide my fear from everyone else in the Great Hall, he sorted me into Gryffindor."

"How did Riddle take your being sorted into Gryffindor?" Brianna asked.

"At first he was rather stiff and uncomfortable when he saw the House crest on my robe, but he soon accepted me, telling me he didn't care what I was, that I was his friend," Ginny sighed. "He shuddered, and I think he was still horrified about my House. I was so afraid that he'd be furious with me, but he told me that, although he disagreed with my housemates, he would not hurt me for such a stupid reason. He promised me that he'd never be angry like that."

Megan whistled quietly. "That's almost unbelievable, that the Heir of Slytherin would accept someone who could have been a Slytherin but was instead a Gryffindor."

Ginny nodded sadly, then brightened. "It was then that he began to teach me the Transfiguration I needed to know to change practically anything! I started on a cold, stone chair in one of the Chamber side rooms."

"What is the Chamber like?" questioned Samantha excitedly.

"Ah, the Chamber is very dark and cold, but it is very intricately decorated with serpant designs," Ginny explained. "Salazar Slytherin loved his serpants, you know: hence, the serpant on the statue of him outside the Slytherin Common Room. In the main room of the Chamber, there is a full-length statue of Salazar Slytherin, and the basilisk lives in the mouth of the statue."

The five Slytherin girls stared at Ginny in awe. "You spoke to it, didn't you?" Megan said.

Ginny nodded sadly. "Tom summoned him, and he came to us. One of the first things he said to Tom was, 'She is very much like you, Riddle: my eyes do not kill her'! He called me 'Child'! He was amazing. I told the basilisk 'Thank you for trying to kill me,' and he asked Tom who I was!" Giggling, Ginny recalled, "He called Tom 'Young one'! Isn't that funny? Then Tom explained to the basilisk who I was, and told the basilisk that he was to obey me like he obeyed Tom."

"Then," Ginny continued, "I annoyed Snape in Potions, and I annoyed Reya in Potions, and almost caused my cauldron to explode in my face. And, Reya, about the hexes I threatened you with—Tom taught me those, and they are very nasty. Later, I went to visit my brothers Fred and George in their dorm room. Percy found me and dragged me off to the Hospital Wing to take that stupid Pepperup Potion."

"Oh, no!" gasped Megan, beginning to laugh, "your ears smoked, and with your red hair, you probably looked hilarious!"

Ginny scowled at the wall behind the girls. "Yes, I did. All my dorm mates laughed at me, and I transfigured their bedsheets to the Slytherin House colours to annoy them for it. Of course, they called in a prefect who yelled at me, and after a bit, Tom scolded me for being annoyed with the prefect. I hated being scolded by Tom, so I railed at him, and he kept scolding me, so I blocked him out of my mind."

"And the Dark Lord took him over," sighed Guage.

"Precisely," Ginny said. "Honestly, you'd think I'd be smarter than to set off Tom's cousin again. Of course not. It's the Gryffindor stupidity."

The five girls giggled, and Ginny went on. "I didn't even try to speak to him until a lot later, but he wouldn't not respond. At that point, Reya was still plotting against me, and I was afraid I'd have to face her on my own. I wrote to Tom in the journal and told him that I was sorry, but (as we all know now) his cousin was very cold to me, and said that he'd only forgive me if I let him take control of me whenever he wished. He told me he'd hurt me if I didn't obey every word he said without question, he would make me hurt."

Reya shook her head. "I can't believe you survived him," she told Ginny.

"The journal glowed red and burnt my hand, for Tom and his cousin were fighting in it," Ginny sighed. "I told him I would obey, but I called him Tom, for that's who I thought it was. At that moment, he entered my mind, said, 'Let's test your obedience, Ginevra,' and possessed me."

Megan grinned. "Was that when Colin Creepy was petrified?" she asked.

"No," Ginny answered. "That was when the first message was written on the wall, and Mrs. Norris was petrified."

"Oh," giggled Brianna, "and that's when everyone blamed it on Potter for the first time."

Samantha began giggling with her sister, and said, "I remember talking about the message being written in blood. It was, wasn't it, Stel?"

Ginny nodded. "It was in basilisk's blood," she told her friends. They gasped, and Ginny explained, "He gave his blood willingly. It's the hardest substance in the world to clean: you know that the messages are still there. Filch couldn't get them off."

"In your face, Filchy!" cheered Megan.

"Yah." Ginny laughed. "And later I ran into some of you and Reya's people. That was the first time I'd ever done a non-verbal spell."

Guage perked up. "Really? What was it?" she asked curiously.

Grinning, Ginny replied, "It was a Stunning Spell that I used on a fifth-year Slytherin boy. I couldn't ennervate him after that, either."

"So then what did Tom's cousin do to you?" asked Reya.

"I met him in the Chamber that night, but he just wanted to annoy me," Ginny sighed. "Anyway, later, after the first Quidditch game of the season, I accidentally set Colin Creavey up for his petrification. I yelled at him for taking pictures of Harry when he was hurting, but told him that Harry would love for Colin to visit him at midnight to show Harry the pictures of him flying."

Brianna grinned. "Ginny, you're so wicked. Did you do it on purpose?"

"I meant for Harry to yell at him," Ginny snorted. "I didn't mean for him to get himself petrified. I had wanted to teach him a lesson, but it completely failed when Tom's cousin told me that he was going to possess me that night."

Reya took a deep breath. "And that's when Creepy was petrified. Huh. I think he deserved it."

"Well," Ginny mused, "he did annoy Harry, so you should appreciate him for that. Anyway, that night, when I was possessed, my mind was still aware, so I witnessed everything that happened to Colin. I felt sorry for him, and begged for Tom not to hurt him, but it still happened. I remember the long walk back to the Chamber, and even though Voldemort was controlling me, I still could barely walk because I felt so guilty. I know he was furious that I still had such control over my body. He left me in a side room, and I stayed there for a long time."

"Did you sleep there?" Guage asked curiously. "Wouldn't it be fun to sleep in the Chamber?"

Ginny shook her head. "It would be fun, but I didn't. The real Tom—my Tom—entered my mind soon after, and I practically melted in the sheets of the bed where I was, for I was so terrified of him. He told me that he hadn't been himself since we'd argued about the Gryffindor prefect."

"Oh," moaned all the girls together. "That's terrible! So what did he say?"

"I didn't know if I could trust him or not, so I asked him for a proof, and he was very angry with his cousin," Ginny stated flatly. "He told me that he cared about me more than he'd ever cared about anyone in his whole life."

Reya sighed and patted Ginny's shoulder. "See, Estella?" she said. "I'm telling you that you and Tom were meant for each other. You really should have snogged—"

Megan drew her wand on Reya, but Brianna and Samantha had already tackled the wayward girl. "You shut up," Brianna hissed in the girl's face. "She told you not to tease her about snogging him, or liking him, or hugging him, or anything like that. If you upset her one more time, I'm going to hex your nose off! And maybe your ears, too!"

Ginny had her face hidden, her arms wrapped around her knees. Guage slipped her arm around Ginny and said, "Don't mind her. She sometimes doesn't know when to quit teasing. I'm sorry, Stel. I'll silence her if you wish."

"No," Ginny whispered, fighting back tears. "Let her up, girls." Brianna and Samantha rolled off of Reya, watching her carefully. "Reya, I know that Tom and I were meant for each other. But nothing can be done about that now, and it hurts to remember how wonderful a person he was to me. But I don't think snogging ever crossed our minds." Ginny blushed painfully, and Reya looked down.

"I'm sorry," Reya said. "I just—ah, never mind." Brie had threatened her with a fist.

Sighing, Ginny bravely struggled on. "He told me that the Chamber was not safe, and that I was not to stay in the Chamber alone anymore. I was very confused, for Tom mentioned his cousin running wild in it, and I don't recall ever even seeing Voldemort before that time. Tom said that as his cousin got stronger he would be able to leave the journal just like Tom. He took me up to my Common Room and left me there."

Megan smiled slightly. "That's nice," she said. "'Lovely to meet you, Mr. Dark Lord.'"

The other girls giggled, and Ginny grinned. "Huh. It wasn't that nice, actually. Anyway, the next thing that happened was that I went to the Chamber to meet Tom, and he showed me the family tree room, where you speak your name and the room shows you all your relatives."

"Wizards or Muggles?" Guage asked.

Ginny shrugged. "Dunno. I think both, because Tom said 'everyone who's ever existed.'"

"Ah, cool!" said Brianna. "Did you look us up? Is that how you knew you were related to us?"

"Kind of," Ginny replied. "We looked up Tom's line first, and I was thrilled to see Salazar Slytherin in the upper part of his bloodline. We then tried to find my bloodline, but it told me that I didn't exist."

"What?" exclaimed the other girls.

Ginny nodded. "I told it that I meant _my_ bloodline, and it brought up my parents, Meretta and Reginald Parkington. So Tom took me to a different room and we looked up what it had on Meretta Parkington. That's when I learned about my real parents being Death Eaters. Then, we looked up the name of Meretta's daughter, Estella, and found that I had indeed been adopted and all that."

"So, Tom knew this already, or didn't he?" Megan asked.

"He didn't. He was just as shocked as I was, but he accepted it faster, and helped me accept it," Ginny replied. "I was quite ashamed for a few minutes, but I got over it before I left the Chamber that night."

Brianna and Samantha grinned. "We love you, cousin," they cooed, leaning against Ginny from either side.

"Well, thanks," said Ginny uncomfortably. She took a deep breath. "The next time Tom and I had something interesting happened was when Potter spoke Parseltongue at the Dueling Club. Tom was so horrified that he said, 'Somebody **AvadaKedavra** me.'"

Megan grinned and looked over at Guage, who laughed. Ginny shot them a questioning look and Megan said, "I felt the same way. I am also a Parselmouth."

Reya, Brianna, and Samantha all screamed in shock, and Guage burst out laughing, rolling on the floor. Ginny instantly asked Megan (P), "Isss it the truth?"

Megan replied (P), "Yesss, it isss."

"It's true, girls," Ginny said. "Oh, wow, Megan. It's unbelievable that we had five Parselmouths in the school at one time when everyone thinks that only Potter and Salazar Slytherin and Voldemort can speak Parseltongue—say, if you count Slytherin's portrait that hangs in the dungeons, then that's six Parselmouths!"

Brianna and Samantha shook their heads, unable to believe it. "Just go on," muttered one of them, and the other added, "Yeah, while we try to cope with the hissing in our heads..."

Guage set off into giggles again and Reya caught the giggles. "Anyway," Ginny interrupted them, dragging out the word to get them to quit laughing, "I defeated your lovely Slytherin prefect Rishka at the Dueling Club: I used the Bat Bogey Hex on her, and I have to say that it worked really well." Ginny smirked proudly.

Brianna grinned. "Awesome! I wish she would get lost; she's always—"

At that moment, the door flew open and said person walked in, wand drawn. "I knew you were up," she snarled at them. Then she noticed Estella. "Estella!" she snapped. "I know you don't belong here. Who are you, really?"

"I am Estella Parkington, and no other," Ginny answered calmly, staring at the business end of Rishka's wand. "I happen to be a cousin of the Charleston girls. And I do belong here, stupid. I'm a witch."

Rishka scowled. "But you don't belong in this dorm!"

"No," agreed Ginny evenly, "I am from a different House."

"You're not a Slytherin?" gasped Rishka. "No extra-house member ever wishes to be caught here dead. Is it your Gryffindor bravery? Or your Hufflepuff stupidity?"

Ginny became very angry, but quietly answered, "I am not stupid, and I am not really that brave. And you guessed wrong. Have you heard of Cherea Charleston? That's who I really am, and she's a Ravenclaw. And, no, I don't look like her, for I didn't want anyone to recognize me. And I went by a different name in case the twins here were a bit too infamous."

"I'm going to have to send you back to your Common Room," Rishka said. Ginny refused to budge, and Rishka scowled. "Then I'll take you back to your Common Room."

"I don't think that you're smart enough to get into Ravenclaw Tower," Ginny replied with a smirk.

Rishka cast the Stunning Spell, and Ginny easily blocked the spell with her hands. "Hey," said Ginny with slight amusement. "The first time I ever did that wandlessly was when Granger was trying to stupefy me!" Ginny waved her hand and disarmed Rishka. "Now get out," she told the prefect. "I'll leave your wand in the Common Room."

The prefect hesitated, and Ginny used the Propulsion Jinx to make her run from the room. The girls stared at Ginny, and she giggled, "It comes from being a Ravenclaw. Now, back to the story...oh, hold that thought." Ginny put up a Silencing Ward on the dorm room and continued.

"Tom told me that Potter was not supposed to be a Parselmouth, and I was mad at Tom for a minute before I got over it. Tom told me that Voldemort accidentally gave Potter that ability when he killed Harry's parents! That's why Harry's an unnatural Parselmouth," Ginny explained. "Tom hugged me because I was upset, and at that very moment, his cousin came from the journal and stood in the middle of the Chamber with us. Tom hated seeing his cousin there, and I told Tom to just let him speak to me."

"So he told me to take the basilisk out on the Mudbloods again," she said with a sigh. "I was supposed to do it alone, no possession making me do it. I was to do it willingly. However, I didn't act quickly enough, and he put a Dark Arts curse on me that made me hurt whenever I moved or touched something."

Guage winced. "Ouch," she commented. "Did you then run off to do it?"

Ginny smiled weakly. "He left the curse on, gave me a time frame, and left the Chamber. In the end, Headless and Finch-Fletchley ended up petrified. When I returned to Tom, I realized that I had enjoyed every minute of that petrification," she laughed tiredly. "I would have done it again and again."

"Oh, Estella." Reya looked shocked. "When you told me that you didn't mind Creepy's being petrified, I never imagined that you were the one doing it, or that you knew the Heir of Slytherin!"

"Yes. It was a very interesting charade that I played," Ginny mused. "But anyway, the next time that I went to visit Tom in the Chamber, he told me that our close friendship was taking my life force from me and bringing Tom back to life. He didn't look like a ghost much anymore, and I was so tired so much (the time I fell asleep in the library). I knew he was probably right, and—"

Ginny hid her face again, wrapping her arms around herself. "He told me that he was killing me," she whispered. "He ordered me to get rid of the journal. Tom said that he was going to leave me forever, and that I was never to come back to the Chamber."

"Oh, Estella," breathed Megan.

"I protested, and screamed, and sobbed, and clung to him, but he said, 'You are young and I am not. You have a long life ahead of you, and I do not.' He told me to go, and that he was doing it for me." Tears filled Ginny's eyes, and she choked, "He called me 'Princess.'"

The girls stared, Brianna and Samantha tearing up as well, but trying to hide it. Ginny stuttered on: "I protested that he'd be alone, and that his cousin would hurt him, but he quieted me. He told me that he'd be fine."

Ginny began to sob, and they all gathered around her, putting their arms around her gently. "He told me that he was doing it because he loved me. He loved me, as no one he'd ever known before. He said that if he couldn't have me, someone else out there would love me." She was overcome, and sobbed hard before continuing, "He hugged me very tightly, then told me, 'I love you' again. He asked me to remember him, and then said goodbye. I told him I'd always remember him, and then I left, never looking back."

"Was that the last time you saw him?" gasped Samantha, wiping her eyes.

Sniffing, Ginny shook her head. "I know that he was still watching over me, for he gave me a map of the school. I ditched the journal in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and tried to exist without Tom. The Slytherin first year boys hexed me, and Rishka's boyfriend would have bloodied my face if Miskenet hadn't saved me. I missed Tom so much, for he actually caused Rishka and her boy to be tripped by shifting floorboards and chased by suits of armour holding axes!"

Brianna grinned and hugged her cousin carefully. "So what happened next?"

"I tried to write a Valentine, for I still liked Harry at that point, but I gave it up. I threw it away and went to bed. My dorm mates rescued it from the trash can and sent it to Harry the next day. So, I hexed both of them in front of Professor Flitwick just before Charms class commenced, and he took points away, but asked me to see him after class."

"What did he say?" Megan asked, grinning.

Ginny laughed. "He asked me if I'd ever thought of making my own hexes, and gave me an extra assignment of making the hexes," she replied. "You know, girls, those hexes, jinxes, and charms that I told you I had just learned and needed to practice—those were some of the ones I'd worked on creating."

The Slytherin girls stared. "You didn't."

Nodding, Ginny continued, "I wanted to get the journal back from Percy, because he took it from Harry when they argued outside the Charms classroom. I followed Percy around and ended up catching him snogging his girlfriend."

Squeals came from all the girls, and they started giggling. "Yes, I know, it's wierd," Ginny said. "Anyway, I found the journal in the Gryffindor boys' dorm. I told it that I would never let it go again. I went down to the Chamber a few nights later to see if Tom was still there. He was upset that I'd stolen the journal back and come down to the Chamber when he'd told me not to. Tom finally told me that it was all right, and that he'd missed me. He just didn't want me putting myself in danger."

"So, when did his cousin get there?" asked Megan knowingly.

"Later," Ginny said flatly. "Tom had sent Miskenet to help me with the Slytherin prefects, and he'd been watching over me to make sure that no one hurt me. I convinced Tom not to leave me anymore, and we went back into the main room of the Chamber. That's when we found Tom's cousin lounging against one of the serpant statues. He told me to go after Hermione Granger."

Brianna and Samantha squealed in delight. "What happened? What happened?"

"I instantly shouted that I'd been waiting to get her, gave Voldemort a big hug, then danced off to summon the basilisk," Ginny replied easily.

"You hugged him?" Reya half-screamed. "The bloody DarkLord?"

Ginny giggled and nodded. "I was thrilled to attack Granger, and my excitement knew no bounds," she laughed. "I think I scared Tom's cousin, though. When I was ready to go, Tom stopped me, told me not to hug his cousin anymore, and changed my appearance to what I look like right now."

Megan and Guage laughed, leaning against each other, and Ginny went on, "I met Lockhart, and had to create a fancy story to satisfy him. But Granger wasn't at the library: she must have just left. I found that she'd been researching magical creatures, and I knew that she'd found out about the basilisk, so I hurried after her as quickly as I could. Unfortunately, Penelope (that's my brother's girlfriend) got herself petrified first. Hermione only managed to say something about it being illegal to have a basilisk petrify students before she was petrified. I hurried away, for I heard McGonagall coming. But that was it for Granger for the year."

"Yeah!" cheered the Slytherin girls, laughing.

"I was going to tell Ron and Harry about what was happening to me, but Percy and Voldemort stopped me (Percy didn't know what he was doing), and I had to leave the Great Hall without saying anything to them," Ginny sighed."Voldemort met me at the wall where I wrote the first message. He made me write my goodbye note, except that Tom had to help me, because I was too hysterical to do it. Voldemort cut my finger and made me write it in my own blood. Tom helped me down to the Chamber and held me there."

Brianna sighed. "Oh, he was such a darling to you, Stel."

Ginny brushed a tear away and nodded. "He held me as Voldemort taunted us. Tom told me he loved me, but I didn't reply! I couldn't go to sleep like Tom's cousin wanted: I had to fight it. Just before I lost consciousness, Tom told me, 'I love you' one last time. I sighed but didn't answer him!" choked Ginny. "He probably thought that I didn't care about him anymore!"

"I'm sure he didn't think that," Reya reassured her friend.

"When I woke up, the basilisk was dead, and Tom and Voldemort were destroyed," Ginny sobbed, unable to keep from breaking down. "Harry was there! He destroyed the journal, and got bitten by the basilisk and healed by the phoenix—he put the sodding Gryffindor sword through the mouth of the basilisk! I hate him for doing that! Harry killed Tom and Benjy!"

The twins looked confused, and Megan asked, "Who is Benjy?"

"He's the basilisk," choked Ginny. "Don't tell anyone what his name was." The girls nodded. "I wasn't punished when I got to the headmaster's office, but they blamed everything on Tom! None of that was his fault, and he still died, and he still got blamed for all of it!"

"I was sent to rest in the hospital wing, and spoke with the Mudbloods, convincing the boys that I wasn't the Heir," Ginny sighed. "I also had to convince Granger that I had been the one who had sicced the basilisk on her. I then dissed her and sent her away from me. When I got out, I had fun with Brianna and Samantha, whom I met when I was with my entire family (and Potter and Granger) on my way to the Gryffindor Common Room." The black-haired girl took a deep breath. "That's it."

They threw their arms around Ginny, hugging their friend close. "You've been through so much," Samantha sighed. "We'll stand by you in everything, and we'll even hex your brothers if need be. I just wish your mother wasn't so over-protective."

Ginny smiled tiredly. "I know. Well, we really should go to bed."

Brianna and Samantha tucked Ginny in, then turned out the lights and went to bed. Ginny, remembering Tom's declarations of love to her, cried herself to sleep, missing him terribly.


	25. Homeward Bound

_Ginny was in the Chamber, walking with Tom. She was so happy to see him that she'd cried when she'd first seen him. He was happy to see her, and Ginny hugged him as tightly as she possibly could._

_To her shock, he shoved her away and hissed, "You were told not to hug me anymore, Estella."_

_"But that wasn't you," she replied in her sleep, "that was—no, it can't be!"_

_The dark-haired boy stared deep into her eyes. "Potter killed your friend Riddle, and I am yet alive."_

_Ginny began to scream. "I won't believe it!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "No, I want Tom! He—he loves me!"_

_"You stupid child," hissed the evil Tom. "He never loved you." He took Ginny by the arms and shook her hard. "Listen to me, little girl. He just wanted to trick you into believing he did so that you'd help him get out of the journal that I'd confined him in."_

_Refusing to reply, Ginny sobbed hopelessly and leaned her head against the Chamber wall. "Stubborness is soon corrected in my followers," said the evil Tom. "__**Crucio!**__"_

_Ginny fell to the ground, screaming and sobbing in agony._

"Estella! Estella!" the voices cut through Ginny's pain. "Wake up! I didn't know she could scream so loud, did you?"

_Obey me,_ taunted the Tom in Ginny's dream. _I won't let up the curse until you obey._

"I won't!" Ginny screamed, and the girls jumped back from her bed. "Oh, oh, ahhhhh!"

"Somebody silence her," begged Reya, who was sitting on her bed with her hands over her ears.

Brianna and Samantha jumped up on Ginny's bed and shook Ginny. "Estella Parkington, wake up! You are having a bad dream! Wake up!"

"I want Tom," Ginny sobbed. "I want him! He does love me; I know he does."

"Yes, he does," Brianna soothed Ginny. "He does. And he wouldn't want you to be all hysterical, though, I think."

A scream from Ginny shattered the stillness and Reya dove under her blankets. "No, stop! STOP! It hurts, Tom, oh, it hurts!" screamed Ginny, tears streaming down her face. She writhed under her blankets.

The girls looked at each other and Megan placed a Quieting Charm on Ginny, her screams now normal voice level. "What do you think he's doing to her?" Guage asked. "She seems to be in agony."

"Do you think he's cruciating her again?" Samantha wondered in horror.

"Probably," commented Megan just as Ginny's body shuddered.

A sob came from Ginny, and she choked, "Tom, what are you doing? Tom, sto—no, Tom, don't hurt me again! NO!"

Ginny's arms flailed, and the twins jumped off the bed so she wouldn't hit them. A heartbroken sob came from Ginny, and she screamed, "Help! HELP ME!" Suddenly, her begging and pleading stopped, but she kept sobbing, her wrists still appearing to be bound together. "Mum," sobbed Ginny, "he was going to kill me!"

The five Slytherin girls looked at each other, the twins infuriated. "I hate him," Brianna ground out.

Suddenly, Ginny sat up and stared at them, her face pale and streaked with tears. "Mummy," she sobbed, but then saw the girls. "What—where am I?"

"You're in the Slytherin girls' dorm," Guage replied gently. "Safe. It was just a dream."

Ginny collapsed into her cousin's arms and wept in relief. "It's okay, Ginny," Brianna soothed her. "Tom will never hurt you again."

"He wasn't the one," sobbed Ginny, barely able to get one word out. "It was his cousin in Tom's body. He tortured me again! He tried to kill me, but Mum came," began Ginny, sobbing heartbrokenly. "No, she wasn't my mum. Well, in the dream she was. Oh, that must have been my real mum. I woke up when ."

The girls put their arms around Ginny. "We're sorry," Samantha whispered. "We tried to wake you, but you wouldn't wake."

"It's going to be all right," Brianna murmured.

Ginny sniffed, trying to stop her tears. "I was terrified," she whispered. "I've never felt so helpless, and I knew that he was going to hurt me very badly. He tortured me first, and then decided that since I couldn't be of help to him anymore, he'd—" She sobbed and hid her face in Brianna's robes.

"It's okay, Estella," Guage said.

"I miss Tom," sobbed Ginny. "I want him back! I need him!" She continued weeping and crying, "I need him" over and over again.

Brianna kept her arm around Ginny's shoulders until Ginny became quiet. "Ah, it's 5 o' clock in the morning," Megan told Ginny. "If we go now, we can beat the Ravenclaws to the best seats in the library, and still bypass any of your family that we see—if you want to stay as Estella."

Ginny grinned. "Of course."

* * *

On the train home, Ginny sat in the compartment with Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Percy (the up-himself prat) was in the prefect compartment. _Even better, _Ginny thought to herself. _I can tell them about his girlfriend._

Her eyes dancing, Ginny told the five others, "I—I caught Percy snogging his girlfriend in a classroom in the middle of the night. That's why Percy chased me away from you two [she motioned to Harry and Ron] when I was about to tell you about the Chamber."

Fred and George caught Ginny's excitement, and grinned widely. "That's wonderful, Ginny," Fred said, and George winked at her wickedly.

"You won't tease him, will you?" Ginny asked, her sarcasm lost on them.

"Of course not," the twins replied, looking offended. "What do you take us for?"

Ginny smiled, then curled up against the side of the car, looking out the window. _I miss you, Tom,_ she sighed to herself, trying not to burst into tears again. A tear slid down her cheek unheeded, and Granger looked directly at her and asked, "Are you all right?"

She nearly exploded at Granger, but snapped, "I'm perfectly fine!" _Stupid Gryffindors with no subtlety!_

Ron looked concerned. "Are you sure?" he asked, and Ginny nodded.

Everyone was watching her as if they were waiting for her to explode. "Of course I'm all right," she said in a low tone. "I just want to be left alone. And I guess I can't expect you all not to meddle. Sorry, Fred, George, I don't include you in that."

The twins nodded at her, but Ron was annoyed. "We don't want you to withdraw yourself and almost get killed again," he told her.

Ginny jumped to her feet. "I'm not going to!" she half-shouted at her brother. "And I'm not staying here: I'm going to find my friends!" She stormed away to the Slytherin compartments to find the first year girls.

She found them—in the same compartment with the Malfoy boy. She debated whether to stay, and remembered that Tom had told her that her Parselmouth abilities made her better than Draco. _Eh, maybe not better. I rather like Draco. And anyway, I'm not letting some blonde kid keep me from my friends._

Ginny hurried into the compartment and sat down between Megan and Brianna. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, and Ginny just watched him, inwardly laughing with glee.

"Well, Weasley," drawled Draco, "what brings you over here? Do you identify with the Heir of Slytherin now?"

Smiling, Ginny replied, "Yes, I do." Crabbe and Goyle spit out their chocolate frogs and Draco shot both of them a disgusted look. "I should tell you the whole story, but it would take way too long," she sighed, "but the Heir of Slytherin is actually not the same person who tried to kill me."

"Who was it then?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"It was the Heir's cousin," Ginny sighed. "And you can ask any of the first year Slytherin girls: they know the whole story. Don't say anything to my family—but I'm sure you wouldn't anyway."

Draco scowled. "Of course not, Weasley."

"And I know you can barely believe that I'm speaking to you civilly, but I am," Ginny said quickly. "The girls are my friends, and they have my full permission to tell you." She shot a dirty look at Crabbe and Goyle. "But don't tell his goons," she grinned.

Crabbe and Goyle did not get it, and just looked at Ginny stupidly. She laughed and turned to her friends, letting Draco think about what she'd said. Ginny couldn't wait to get home.


	26. Home Sweet Home

Once Ginny was at home, she went to bed almost immediately, being quite tired. She did not see her family again until the next morning. After getting dressed, Ginny danced out of her room and hurried to the stairs. The instant she set foot on the stairs, something shot out of the wall behind her, hitting her in the back and pushing her down the stairs.

Molly, who had been in the kitchen, came running, and gasped, "Are you all right, Ginny?"

Ginny nodded, trying to catch her breath, and hid the rubbery hand that had hit her in her pocket. "Just missed my footing," she said finally, rubbing her leg.

"Let me see that," Molly told her daughter, pulling out her wand.

Ginny's eyes went very wide and she scooted away from her mother, then stood quickly. "I'm fine," Ginny said abruptly, then limped over to the table.

Percy shot her a superior "you clumsy girl" look and Ron seemed surprised that Ginny had just tumbled down the stairs. Fred and George were staring at their cereal, surprised that Ginny hadn't instantly told on them for putting that hand above the staircase.

Ginny lifted her lip and snarled at Percy, and Fred and George burst out laughing. "Ginny, that's great," Fred said.

"Where'd you learn that?" asked George. "That's quite a face for an eleven year old girl."

"I know," Ginny laughed. "I copied it from some nasty Slytherin or another. I like to watch the other students and mimic them to annoy them and make others laugh."

Percy frowned at her. "Ginevra, you shouldn't be mimicking Slytherins, especially after—"

"NO!" shouted Ginny. "Do not call me Ginevra. I can mimic whomever I want, les'n it's the Dark Lord, or someone like that!"

Ginny's family stared at her, and Arthur said, "Ginny, I think you should be very careful what you say."

"I am," Ginny whispered. "I just want Percy to quit trying to control me. Do you know how much I was controlled last year, and how much I hate it? I can't stand having someone act all stuck up like that—you're lucky that we're not at school anymore, Percival." She glared at him venomously.

"We understand, Ginny," Molly interrupted them gently. Sighing, Ginny picked at her food, and her mother shook her head, walking away.

Fred and George looked uncomfortably at each other and asked, "So, Ginny, ah, what did you really think about our jumping out at you from behind statues like that?"

Ginny smiled at them. "I think that it was a good thought," she told them. "But it was kind of wierd to have you jump out at me with pimples on your face. I'm so glad I could change your faces back, 'cause you looked both bad."

"So when did they do this?" asked Arthur, grinning.

"Just before the Dueling Club," Ginny giggled happily. "It was actually funny, now that I think about it."

Ron frowned at her. "What exactly did you do at the Dueling Club?" he asked.

With a sigh, Ginny replied, "I'm friends with some of the Slytherins, so I moved away from them so I wouldn't have to practice dueling against them. It was only bad luck that I ended up next to this Slytherin girl prefect, Rishka, whom I'd hexed previously."

Percy scowled at his sister. "Ginny, you shouldn't hex prefects," he told her.

"Not even Slytherin prefects?" Ginny asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Fred and George cracked up again, and Ginny added, "Don't worry, I'll remember that you're family."

Arthur's face twitched as if he were trying not to laugh. "Oh, Ginny," he sighed, "you need to be very careful or you can make very formidable enemies."

"Oh, but sometimes it can't be avoided if I'm to stand on principle," Ginny said with a smile.

"You sound like a Ravenclaw," Fred told her, grinning.

She smiled back, and Ron retorted heatedly, "That's better than sounding like a Slytherin! Hermione told me that she caught you messing with the Pol—" He shut up, realizing that he had been about to give away a secret. "She told me that you'd sounded exactly like a Slytherin and that you'd had unbelievable powers."

Ginny scowled at her brother. "Is that so? Must be Tom's influence."

Arthur looked worried. "What did you do to her to make her say that?" he asked Ginny.

"Oh," Ginny sighed. "She asked me what I thought about being a first year and I told her that I play tricks on my dorm mates. She disapproved. Then she tried to tell me that I should be more careful and not be nosy or I'd get hurt. She had no idea what was coming down her alley!" Ginny sang happily.

"Ginevra!" shouted a voice from the other room, and Ginny snapped to attention. Molly stormed into the room. "What did I hear you say?"

"Mum, I meant that she had no idea what was happening to me and that she was going to end up being attacked by me," Ginny explained quickly. "Blimey, mum, did you actually think I was celebrating her petrification?"

Molly eyed Ginny very carefully. "If I so much as hear a single comment close to that again, I will wallop you with my broomstick and lock you in your room for a month!"

"Yes, Mum," muttered Ginny. "I didn't mean it that way, you know."

Molly frowned at Ginny, then stalked off. Ron turned back to his sister and said, "Could you finish up what you were saying, Gin?"

"I asked Hermione why she was brewing that potion, and she refused to tell me, and then I saw the potions book that she practically bribed Lockhart to give her permission to get out of the Restricted Section. When I pointed that out, she told me that I was acting a lot like the Slytherin girls in her year. I told her that I didn't need to be coddled, and was going to storm out, but she begged me to stay." A grin came to Ginny's face and she said, "So I did, and bribed her to tell me what she was doing with the potion."

"She told you?" shouted Ron. "She wouldn't!"

Ginny laughed. "She was shocked, and gasped, 'You wouldn't!' I told her that I would, 'cause she'd just said that I acted like the Slytherin girls she knew. And she tried to stupefy me."

Ron burst out laughing. "That must have been embarrassing," he laughed.

"Oh, it was," Ginny said. "I blocked her spell wandlessly."

Her father and brothers gaped at her, and Arthur said, "What!?"

Ginny looked at him, grinning. "Tom helped me in defense—especially when I told him about dunderheaded Lockhart," Ginny told her family. "And anyway, Hermione only told me what the objective was, and then I countered something else she said, and she said, 'How is it that you know all this from just one meeting of ours? How many Slytherin friends do you have?'" Ginny giggled. "So I told her that I grew up with two of the Slytherin first year girls. Then I walked Hermione back to her dorm room, protecting her from Miskenet (whom I hexed) and Percy (whom I duelled in the Common Room)."

Percy's face turned red and he quickly hurried up to his room. Fred and George looked at Ginny in awe. "You duelled him? Awesome, Ginny! What happened?"

"Oh," Ginny said flippantly, "I had somebody else's wand—found it on a table in the Common Room. I disarmed and stunned Percy in front of Miskenet (who was laughing hysterically). I took Hermione back to her dorm room, and went to bed. Yes, we were out of bed after lights-out."

Fred and George shook their heads and grinned at their sister. "You're good, Gin," they told her. "We should take lessons from you! We never hex Percy."

"It's just that I don't want to put up with any of his yapping," Ginny explained. "He did leave me alone after I'd knocked him down a few times."

"Ginny, you shouldn't act like such a Slytherin," Ron snapped.

Ginny glared at her brother. "Ron, listen to me. Tom taught me how to survive bullies and all that, so that I was able to surpass expectation this year," she hissed at Ron.

"But, Ginny, you can't trust him!" Ron gasped at her.

Ginny stood so quickly that the twins shrank away from her. "You know nothing about trust, Ronald," she hissed at him. "Your best friend doesn't stick around for one year and then betray you, trying to kill you!" She accidentally caused her napkin to fly across the table and adhere itself to Ron's face. Ginny fled from the table, running up to her room.

Slamming her bedroom door, Ginny sank down on her bed, longing for Tom even more. Noticing something on her nightstand next to her wand, she turned to it—and found a single blade of grass there. It reminded her of a conversation she'd had with Tom...

...Tom and Ginny were walking down a path in the Forbidden Forest, and Ginny was clinging to Tom's arm because her eyes were closed. Tom had wanted the forest clearing that he was taking her to be a surprise, so he'd had her keep her eyes shut.

They came to the clearing and Tom warned her, "The grass is rather tall here, so it might tickle you."

Ginny smiled, her eyes still shut. "Thank you, Tom," she told him.

He led her into the center of the clearing and said, "Stand here a minute; I'll be right back." Ginny nodded, and Tom let her go. After a minute or two, he came back and stood in front of her. "All right, Ginny," he said, sounding boyishly excited, "open your eyes."

She opened her eyes to see Tom handing her a yellow flower. "Tom," she whispered, "it's beautiful!"

Tom smiled slightly. "They only had Hufflepuff colours," he teased her. "If I were striving for true Slytherin spirit, you'd be holding a blade of grass."

"Oh, Tom!" She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly...

Ginny picked up the blade of grass and twisted it between her fingers. "This means he's still alive," she gasped, barely able to believe it. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Oh, I hope he's alive!"

Just then, a knock sounded on her door. Ginny picked up her wand and cleared all traces of tears away before calling, "Come in!"

Fred and George tumbled into the room and shut it behind them, Fred putting up Silencing Charms on the door and walls. When Ginny raised an eyebrow, Fred grinned. "You really do act like a Slytherin sometimes, Ginny. But, honestly, don't go on a killing spree, or anything."

"And we figured that you'd understand the need for privacy, 'cause we need to talk to you," George added. "Knowing that you've probably been taught all means of Slytherin subtlety by Riddle, we thought that you'd keep quiet about the Silencing Charms and all."

Ginny smiled at them. "Of course. But please be careful what you say about Tom." She looked down at her hands. "He was my friend."

The twins sat down on either side of her and Fred put his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, well, he shouldn't have messed with our sister," George said. "But it is good that he taught you to get around Percy and deal with those prefects. Ah—" He looked across Ginny at Fred.

"Yes, I can tell you some of what Tom showed me," Ginny told the twins, laughing.

"Blimey, Ginny, how do you know what we're going to say?" Fred asked.

She shrugged. "'Cause I know you, I guess. And because you asked me to teach you that hex that Miskenet used on you."

Fred and George grinned. "Ah. We gave ourselves away," they said. "And, will you tell us the tricks that you played on your dorm mates?"

Ginny nodded. "I used transfiguration to make sure that they wore Hufflepuff robes to Potions once," she told them, a big grin on her face.

"Wicked," said the twins together. "What did Snape say?"

"Ah, he yelled at me to change them back and never to transfigure my crest again," Ginny replied.

Fred frowned. "You wore Puff robes, too?"

Shaking her head, Ginny replied, "I wore Slytherin robes. I think that's why Snape was so furious." The twins gaped at Ginny, and she sighed. "I also transfigured my dorm mates' bedsheets to the Slytherin House colours when they were annoying me. They had to have a seventh year change them back: it was quite stupid, actually."

George laughed. "You have quite a fascination with Slytherin, don't you?" he asked.

"No—well, I've found that Slytherin is what annoys Gryffindors the most," Ginny replied. "So that's what I use, and they've mostly left me alone, except for the time that they sent a Valentine to Harry that I'd written."

"Ooooh, Ginny, you were going to send a Valentine to Harry?" Fred whistled. "Whew!"

She scowled at him. "No, I wasn't going to send it," she snapped. "They pulled it out of the trash and sent it, and when I found out, I hexed both of them just before Charms class—in front of Professor Flitwick!"

The twins looked impressed. "Did you get detention?" they asked.

"Nope," said Ginny proudly. "I only got points taken away. And he told me to stay after class. He had me work on an extra project, creating my own hexes."

"You create your own hexes?" gasped Fred, and Ginny nodded.

"He had to check them all, but if you want the list, I can give them to you," she told them, a slight smile on her face. "Tom helped me with some of them, and my Slytherin friends helped me with some of them—but they didn't know they were helping."

The twins laughed again. "So when will you teach us that hex?" they asked her.

Ginny smiled. "In a couple days," she replied. "At night. I'll let you know when. I have to make sure I've got everything together for it."

They jumped up and shook Ginny's hand, bowing to her teasingly. "Thanks a lot, Ginny," they told her. "Thank you very much." Then they hurried out of the room, leaving the Silencing Charms still on the walls.

Sighing, Ginny took them down and fingered her blade of grass again. _I'll meet you tonight,_ she tried to whisper to Tom (C), but he didn't respond.

That night at midnight, Ginny hurried out to the paddock, her cloak pulled tightly around her, wand in hand in case she needed to fight. As she stepped up into the paddock, she found a dark-haired boy standing there alone, his back to her.

"Tom?" she whispered, her heart pounding.

He turned to her, and frowed. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked. "Why are you holding your wand as if you're about to fight for your life?"

Hurt surrounded Ginny's heart, and she whispered, "I was afraid that I might indeed have to fight for it, Tom. I didn't know which one of you had survived."

"Oh." Tom was very quiet.

Ginny sniffed, trying not to cry. "I missed you, Tom."

He held out his arms to her, and she put her wand back in her pocket, running to him and throwing her arms around him, weeping. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her close, stroking her back. _I almost lost her,_ he thought, aching inside.

"Tom," sobbed Ginny, trying not to cry too loudly, "I was so afraid that you were gone. I didn't know what I would do without you! I need you."

"I'm here, though," he murmured to her gently, "and I'll always help you." He put up the stone bench again and drew Ginny over to it, pulling her onto his lap. "And that part of my cousin can never hurt us again."

Ginny clung to Tom for reassurance. "You swear to Salazar that you are Tom Riddle and not the Dark Lord?" she asked him.

He smiled and hugged her gently. "Swear to Salazar," he told her softly.

"Good," Ginny sighed, burying her face in the front of his robes.

"Ginny," Tom began, a little strangely, "the Chamber is a disaster-struck area."

Ginny mumbled into Tom's robe, "Then when I go back to school, we'll have to fix it."

Tom laughed, then became very solemn. "Do you know what happened in the Chamber, Ginevra?"

She looked up into his eyes and whispered, "Not really."

With a sigh, Tom explained, "Potter, Ron, and Lockhart came down to the Chamber and there was a little fight between the two boys and Lockhart, causing Lockhart's memory loss and part of the Chamber to cave in."

"What?" gasped Ginny angrily. "They did WHAT?"

"Calm, calm," Tom soothed her. "Part of the Chamber's ceiling caved in and cut off the main entrance, trapping Ron with Lockhart and Potter with the rest of the Chamber."

Ginny scowled, and said, "I didn't realize that when I woke."

Tom sighed. "It's repairable, but it'll probably take both of us to do it. Anyway, Potter continued on and came to your body, which he stupidly tried to awaken." Ginny snorted. "Then my dear cousin came out and pretended to be me and lied to Potter and completely screwed up any chance we had of Potter believing the truth of who I really am."

Tom shot Ginny a sarcastic glance. "Did you know that I changed my name to Voldemort when I grew up? Did you know that I'm a half-blood? Did you know that I possessed you, and made you attack all those students? I hate my cousin sometimes."

"I don't believe a word of it," Ginny murmured to Tom. "You're just my Tom, Heir of Slytherin, Parselmouth, and all that. Never you mind what old Voldie says."

Tom smirked slightly, and continued, "He sicced Benjy on Potter, and—"

"I know!" Ginny cried, then hid her face again. "I hate him for killing Benjy!"

Tom stroked Ginny's back slowly, and told her, "I don't exactly appreciate him either, Ginny, but we need to accept what has happened."

She sniffed again, and sighed. "It's too hard," she whispered. "I can't yet. I still want to jinx his head off."

"Ginny!" gasped Tom, laughing. "Now that's bad."

"Sorry," she said. "Go on with your story."

Tom shifted on the bench and went on. "Anyway, after that, Potter stuck the basilisk tooth into the journal, which destroyed my cousin, who was pulling the life force from both you and I."

Ginny frowned. "How could that work?"

"Basilisk venom is one of the few things that can destroy a hor—one of those things that can house part of a person," Tom explained carefully. Ginny nodding in understanding. "I woke up a few minutes after Potter and his entourage left the Chamber." She gave him a strange look, and he laughed. "I taunted my cousin and he stupefied me," Tom told her.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Good grief," she sighed.

"I went to the security room of the Chamber to find out what had happened and why there was such a mess," Tom said. "That's why I know what happened. Then I watched what you did after that. And now I'm here—with you."

"Oh, Tom," whispered Ginny, clinging to him, "we survived. I can't believe we're both still alive."

Tom smiled and squeezed Ginny gently. "I'm proud of you for being so strong."

Ginny pulled away from him and stood, looking away. "But I wasn't," she whispered, tears starting to her eyes. "I just kept thinking that I couldn't live without you."

He stood and walked up behind Ginny, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You were strong, Ginny. You didn't have hysterical breakdowns, and you didn't tell anybody any of the secrets that you know." He smiled and pressed his cheek against her red hair. "I still don't know how you managed to hide everything from Professor Dumbledore."

"Oh." Ginny looked down. "It wasn't really that hard," she said quietly. "I—I tried to mislead them by leaving one thought foremost in my mind: _I was betrayed by my best friend._ It was really hard to concentrate on keeping my mind off of you and your cousin, though."

"I understand." Tom gently turned her to face him, and she looked up at him, an innocent expression on her face. He took her hands in his and murmured, "I love you, Ginevra." He leaned down to her upturned face and touched his lips to hers for an instant. His eyes searched hers, asking his most important question: _Do you love me?_

Ginny looked up at Tom in wonder for a moment, then pulled her hands away from his. She threw her arms around him, hiding her face in his robes, her chest heaving with emotions.

Worried that he'd been too forward, Tom wrapped his arms around Ginny gently. He worried that she might not have the same feelings of him that he had of her! Tom was just about to release Ginny, apologize to her, and leave when Ginny stirred.

"I love you too, Tom Riddle."


End file.
